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The final that was due to be played in Wollongong at the end of the month has been cancelled

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2020New South Wales have been named the Sheffield Shield champions after the final was cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic.In a move that had been likely for some days following the abandonment of the final round of matches, Cricket Australia confirmed the decision on Tuesday as they also “strongly recommended” that cricket at all levels was cancelled while they also closing their offices.New South Wales were well out in front during the regular season of the Sheffield Shield having already secured hosting rights for the final with six wins in nine matches before the abrupt end to the season. Victoria, the defending champions, were in second spot with Queensland also pushing hard to contest the final which would have been played in Wollongong.Speaking in Melbourne on Tuesday, Cricket Australia chief executive said that New South Wales’ considerable lead in the table had made their decision easier.”When we were assessing it relative to the Shield final there were a number of questions, where do we play the final, if we don’t play the final, is the final postponed, do you not declare a winner,” he said. “I think it was perhaps helpful while we had after round nine five of the six states still in contention to win the Shield, which was fantastic, we did have New South Wales 12 points clear at the top of the table, so credit to New South Wales and to be open that probably made our decision-making a little easier, given that they had such a gap on the field.”Regarding CA’s recommendation that all cricket be stopped, Roberts said. “I’m conscious that around the country a lot of cricket clubs existed in the 1800s, well before Cricket Australia was formed. Over that very long period of time they’ve been led by really capable voluntary administrators who are leaders in their communities. We’ve got a role to be informed from the likes of the government and other experts and to then provide advice and recommendations, but it’s the role of those leaders, who we trust and have trusted in some cases for well over 100 years, to make the best decisions for their communities based on their advice just as we’re seeking to do for cricket more broadly.”All Cricket Australia staff will now work remotely until further notice. While the major impact of the coronavirus pandemic has hit at the end of the Australian season – forcing the scrubbing of the last two Chappell-Hadlee ODIs when New Zealand had to return home due to tightened travel restrictions which also meant the postponement of Australia’s T20I tour – it would appear that this will not be a short-term situation. CA’s next big decisions will involve involvement of their players at the IPL should the tournament go ahead then the tours of Bangladesh in June and England in July.”By effectively cancelling the remainder of our season, Cricket Australia is playing its part in protecting fans, players, staff, volunteers and match officials during this unprecedented global health issue,” Roberts said in an earlier statement. “As organisations around the world rally to slow the spread of the coronavirus, it’s important that we also provide decisive leadership. We hope that by taking these actions now – in addition to those announced in recent days – we can contribute to ‘flattening the curve’ of coronavirus and society returning to normal as quickly as possible.

Arsenal and Liverpool-linked Viktor Gyokeres admits his €100 million release clause is a “bit too much”, but he may end up in the Premier League.

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• Swede starred in England for Coventry
• Enjoyed stunning debut season in Portugal
• Wants to test himself at the highest level

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The prolific Sweden international spent three seasons in England with Swansea and Coventry before heading to Portuguese giants Sporting in the summer of 2023. He hit 43 goals through 50 appearances during his debut campaign in Lisbon.

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  Those exploits are said to have seen the 26-year-old frontman register on recruitment radars at Emirates Stadium, Anfield and Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea another of his many suitors. No deal was done in the last window, but Gyokeres is looking forward to seeing what happens in the next.

• WHAT GYOKERES SAID

  He has told when asked about his present and future, with suitors needing to find €100m (£84m/$111m) in order to get a deal done: “They (Sporting) wanted most of the starting players to stay and held us tight. That’s how it turned out, but I enjoy Sporting very much, so for me it was no problem to stay. Of course you want to play at the highest level. It (release clause) was probably a bit too much because nothing came of it. Of course, it’s a lot of money. But we’ll see what happens next window… I enjoy myself very much in Sporting and can’t complain about anything, so it’s absolutely no problem for me to stay. Of course, you aim to test other leagues and a higher level, but I have no stress.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Gyokeres is under contract until 2028, so Sporting are under no pressure to sell and his asking price will not be dropping any time soon. He has already registered a further seven goals through five appearances in the 2024-25 campaign, as stunning individual standards are maintained.

Today, Liverpool managed to triumph over Chelsea in the 2023/24 edition of the Carabao Cup.

Throughout many points in the game, either side could have taken the lead, however, the ball didn't seem to want to go into the back of the net.

Both Liverpool and Chelsea each had a goal disallowed in the standard 90-minute game, with Virgil van Dijk and Raheem Sterling having their goals chalked off due to an offside call.

It felt as if the clash was destined for yet another penalty shoot-out, much like the previous two times the teams have faced one another in domestic cup finals.

However, after both sides endured a gruelling 118 minutes of football, the deadlock was finally broken by Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk.

His glancing header, which was delivered by Kostas Tsimikas, was enough to allow "Klopp's kids" to triumph over the "billion-pound bottle jobs," as Gary Neville called it post-match.

Virgil van Dijk's performance in numbers

Van Dijk's header was the thing which set Liverpool apart from the West London club but aside from being handed the Man of the Match award for the final and scoring the match-winning goal, the Liverpool captain's overall game was a sight to behold.

Not only did he play the entirety of the 120 minutes, but, he also managed to win 70% of the duels he faced and even managed to achieve a pass accuracy of 91% by the end of the game.

When Van Dijk's statistics are compared to those of Ibrahima Konate, who also had a very solid outing, it shows how well the 32-year-old really played.

The France international won just 58% of the duels he faced and ended the game with a passing accuracy of 85%. Although the pair aren't too far apart, the presence Van Dijk has on the pitch is almost unbelievable.

So much so, that his opponents have even hailed his performances of late: "I think Virgil was the last couple of years and this year also one of the best defenders in the Premier League, for sure," said Tottenham's Micky van de Ven.

"The year they grabbed the title he was unbelievable and showed how important he is for Liverpool. He shows how important he is the last couple of years."

Although the defender put in a stellar performance, Caoimhin Kelleher is another one of Liverpool's players who deserves a special mention.

Caoimhin Kelleher's Carabao Cup final heroics

It goes without saying that it feels as if the Carabao Cup is Kelleher's competition.

Although over the last few seasons he hasn't been afforded many chances to play due to the performances of Alisson, when called upon, the Republic of Ireland international always manages to show the world his talents.

Today's game was no different after the goalkeeper amassed a total of 75 touches and made nine crucial saves throughout the game, one of which was to deny Conor Gallagher tremendously deep into the second half.

The England midfielder was set free but when presented with a chance to score, out raced the Irishman to smother Gallagher and prevent any chance of the ball finding the net. It was so good that one prominent Liverpool content creator suggested it was the Irishman's best ever showing in a Liverpool jersey.

When compared to Chelsea's goalkeeper, Dorde Petrovic, who also had a solid outing between the sticks, it shows just how well Kelleher played.

Petrovic had a total of 11 fewer touches than the 25-year-old and managed an extra save. The number of shots from each side does need to be taken into account. Liverpool had a total of 24 shots with 11 on target, whilst Chelsea only managed 19 with nine on target.

Although Kelleher didn't contest or win any 'duels', he was still put in a miraculous showing between the sticks.

Hence, why, Petrovic ended up with more saves than Kelleher. One thing is for sure, either side could have won it but, thanks to Klopp's "mentality monsters," they managed to come away with the trophy.

Victor Osimhen has been excluded from Napoli squad for the 2024-25 Serie A season as his shirt number has been handed over to Romelu Lukaku.

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• Osimhen out of Napoli squad
• Shirt number handed over to Lukaku
• Failed to complete a transfer to Al-Ahli on deadline day

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Nigerian forward failed to get out of Napoli before the summer transfer window closed on Friday as his reported move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli collapsed at the last moment on the deadline day after the Italian side demanded an extra €5million (£4m/$5.5m) on top of the €80m (£67m/$88m) that was offered, according to Sky Sports in Italy. Had the deal gone through, Osimhen would have earned €40 million (£33.7m/$44.3m) per season for four years, however, it did not materialise as he stayed back at Napoli.

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  After seeing his proposed transfer fall apart, Osimhen and his agent reportedly reacted angrily, with the latter making furious phone calls to club president Aurelio De Laurentiis and sporting director Giovanni Manna. The entire episode has destroyed the relationship between the club and the striker and he has now been excluded from Antonio Conte's squad for the 2024-25 season Serie A season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  With Romelu Lukaku already having arrived to take his place at the Serie A side, the Belgian has now been handed the No.9 shirt which was previously worn by Osimhen.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR VICTOR OSIMHEN?

  The 25-year-old is now stuck in limbo with no transfer on the horizon and Conte apparently prepared to leave him frozen out of the team. Gli Azzurri will be next seen in action on Saturday as they take on Parma in a league clash.

Former India captain says the tournament can unearth new Indian talent that can help the team win world trophies

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Mar-2020If India have to emerge as world beaters in women’s cricket, it is time the BCCI invests in a women’s IPL soon. That is the recommendation of former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who believes the women’s IPL need not follow the eight-team structure of the men’s tournament, but could comprise four or five teams so that untapped talent can come to the fore.Gavaskar’s made the suggestion in a chat with on Sunday immediately after Harmanpreet Kaur’s team lost in the final of the T20 World Cup in front of a record 86, 174 fans at the MCG on International Woman’s Day.Gavaskar said the Indian women shouldn’t be disheartened by the defeat because they had done the country “proud” and made “us hold our heads up”. But he wanted the BCCI, which is led by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, to have a serious discussion on the women’s IPL.”To Sourav Ganguly and the BCCI, I would say is, look at, obviously this year is not going to be possible, but next year, having a women’s IPL because that will earn lot more talent,” Gavaskar said. “There is already a lot of talent which we see and which will now come to the fore with the performance of this Indian team throughout this tournament. All I can say once again is that this Indian women’s team has done us proud and we are very proud of your performance. Never mind the result in the finals. You still have made us hold our heads up.”Gavaskar pointed out that he had suggested starting a women’s IPL in 2017 as well, after India lost to England in a closely contested ODI World Cup final in front of a full house at Lord’s. “I’ve been asking for a women’s IPL for the last couple of years ever since I saw the finals at Lord’s 2017. That is where you actually saw that there is potential for a women’s IPL.”And like I said, it doesn’t necessarily have to start with an eight-team IPL, it can start maybe with a five-team or four-team IPL or WIPL or whatever you might want to call it. But I think if you start with that, there’ll be more talent that will come to the fore, just like it has for the men’s team.”Harmanpreet Kaur walks out for the toss•Getty Images

The men’s IPL started in 2008 and ever since it has given higher opportunities to several uncapped players. Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya are two of the biggest names that have utilised the IPL as a springboard to vault in to the Indian team.”Today look at this Indian men’s team,” Gavaskar said. “There are more (players) not from the metros. They’re more from what you would otherwise call the rural areas, the interiors of India, that is where all the talent is. And that is where all the talent in women’s cricket also could be. And therefore, if we tap that talent, we will have much better teams. We will have competition within the team itself to try and get into the Indian team. And that’s only healthy for Indian women’s cricket.”The BCCI has been attentive to the growth of women’s cricket in India. In 2018, it conducted a one-off women’s T20 challenge match, which was played between two teams comprising the biggest names in the game. Last year the T20 challenge grew to include three teams, who played across four matches coinciding with the men’s IPL playoffs. This season the BCCI added another team to the T20 challenge which means four teams will play seven matches during the men’s IPL play-offs.The T20 Challenge provided 16-year old Shafali Verma a grand stage to showcase her skills at the start of her career, which reached new heights at this year’s T20 World Cup, where she emerged India’s highest run-getter. Kaur has already expressed her desire to see the tournament become more full-fledged.Go outside the off stump and swing to leg – Shafali Verma wants to try it all•Getty Images

“We are hoping for some more games for the Women’s Challenge and I hope some more teams will get it,” she said at the presentation in Melbourne. “That tournament is very important for us because that tournament is one of the high quality tournaments for us domestically. From that we already got two good players and hopefully in the upcoming tournament we do get more players so that they can come and contribute for the team.”Gavaskar echoed those thoughts. “The more matches that they play, the more experience that they get,” he said. “They will also be able to share the dressing room with some of the stars of world cricket, like the Indian Premier League where the young Indian players (male) were able to share change room with the Indian greats, but also greats from the cricketing world.”According to Gavaskar, if the BCCI needed any more proof that a women’s T20 league is a good investment, it should look at the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) which has been driven by investment from Cricket Australia for several years. The WBBL’s contribution to Australian women’s cricket can been seen not just through multiple ICC world titles, but also through fresh young talent.”Yes, you’ve got to say that the Australian Cricket Board has backed Australian women’s team for a long, long time. They also had the WBBL, which has given plenty of opportunities to even a lot of our Indian players: Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet [Kaur], Deepti Sharma – they have all played in the WBBL. That is a big tournament.”That is a tournament where you get to play the best players in the world, and you learn from them. But like the IPL, majority of the players in the WBBL are Australian women players in that, and that certainly has helped them to find that many more players.”A women’s IPL will make a lot of sense because that will mean there will be a lot more exposure for the women, there will be a lot more talent, which is probably there, but we don’t know at the moment, will come to the fore. And then as the years go by Indian women’s team will start winning a lot more trophies.”

Liverpool owners FSG reportedly have a "strong relationship" with an "unbelievable" transfer target, according to an update from journalist Ben Jacobs.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds are still basking in the glory of their EFL Cup triumph over Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, as a young side sealed glory at Wembley in memorable fashion.

Away from the on-field action, however, work is no doubt going on surrounding new signings in the summer transfer window, with Liverpool's next manager wanting to bring in players who can suit his style of play.

One individual who has emerged as a shock candidate for the Reds is Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, with a move to Anfield something that would not go down well at all among Blues supporters. He is seen as an alternative to fellow target Goncalo Inacio.

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is also being looked at as a potential option in defence, and the England international could come in as a direct replacement for Joel Matip, who is likely to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

FSG have "very strong relationship" with Leeds sensation

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs claimed that FSG have a "strong relationship" with Leeds star and Liverpool target Archie Gray, even though he may remain at Elland Road for the time being due to a desire to develop his career organically.

"Some members of Liverpool's hierarchy have a very strong relationship with the Gray family. But it is clear, within that family, that the development of Archie Gray needs to be a patient one. The feeling from the player and the family is that Leeds is the right place for him at this moment in time. If anybody comes in for him in the summer, they're going to have to give a clear pathway and potentially find a short-term solution for minutes through a loan.

"It's unlikely, if Gray signs for a club like Liverpool in the summer, that he would be getting regular minutes. I think the player knows that and, at this stage, he is only really thinking about Leeds."

Gray has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the recent past, and this update adds real encouragement that a switch could happen in the future, even if that isn't as soon as this summer.

At just 17 years of age, the Leeds starlet has a huge future in the game, and he has been a big part of an impressive season at Elland Road to date, starting 30 of his side's Championship matches and helping them sit second in the Championship.

Ali Maxwell of the Not The Top 20 podcast has called Gray "unbelievable", and his ability to play at right-back and in midfield draws instant comparisons with Liverpool superstar Trent Alexander-Arnold, with 22 appearances coming in the former in 2023/24.

The Liverpool star who outshone Virgil van Dijk in the Carabao Cup final

Although Van Dijk won the MOTM award in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, one Liverpool player was just as good.

By
Zak Anderton

Feb 25, 2024

The long-term potential that the Englishman possesses means the Reds should do all they can to sign him, and the fact that FSG's relationship with him and his family is healthy can only be a good thing.

Pochettino is yet to formally join the USMNT as their head coach despite having an agreement with the USSF

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• Pochettino yet to join USMNT
• Has an agreement with the USSF
• Terms of Chelsea's severance package creating hindrance

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Athletic reported last week that ex-Chelsea coach Pochettino is all set to become the new manager of the United States men's national team. Pochettino is currently without a club after he was told to exit Stamford Bridge in May this year.

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  THE EXPLANATION

  The Argentine, however, is yet to formally put pen to paper on a contract despite reaching an agreement with the United States Soccer Federation. The Athletic now reports that the reason why the manager is yet to take up the job is the terms of Chelsea's severance package to him. Per the clause, the Blues will pay Pochettino until the time he gets a new job after which the club will not owe any money to him. It is unlikely that USSF will be able to afford Pochettino's last wages as national jobs are generally lowly paid compared to what the top 6 Premier League clubs pay.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  There is more than one way to solve the existing issue. USSF could replicate Canada's stance during the signing of Jesse Marsch as three MLS teams from Canada helped the country's federation by contributing. However, it has been reported that USSF had no such chat with MLS clubs as of now. The second way will be to go the Lionel Messi way as they could collaborate with a third party who could partly sponsor the move.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  It remains to be seen if the Blues come forward and agree to cover half the money that was owed to the manager while USSF will pay their part. The USMNT will be next seen in September during the international break as they take on Canada and New Zealand in back-to-back friendlies.

He believes Tests will continue to enjoy support in the playing community for longer than is being predicted

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2020Despite the discussion over reducing Test cricket from five days to four, Anil Kumble, former India captain and ICC cricket committee chairman, believes that the longest form of the game will continue to enjoy support in the playing community for lot longer than is being predicted.Kumble was talking about the demands of the T20 age and the shifting of player priorities at an event in Bengaluru to launch former India Test opener and women’s coach WV Raman’s book Talking about leadership on a panel with Raman and TVS executive vice- president P Madhavan, Kumble said he did not believe player priorities had shifted dramatically despite the success of T20 franchise cricket.”I don’t think so. I think everybody wants to play Test cricket, that’s very clear.” The generation of cricketers, Kumble said, “certainly want five-day cricket and that’s something very obvious… there is some challenge in keeping everyone focused and pushed towards playing domestic competition specially Ranji Trophy.” He commended players returning to first-class cricket to find their feet in the game again, a practice he said needed to be encouraged.A marked change in Indian cricket today he said was the palpable separation of the teams between formats, with very few being dead certainties across formats. In India, only captain Virat Kohli and in the recent past, opener Rohit Sharma and bowlers Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah have belonged to that list.”Very few players are common to formats and it’s getting lesser and lesser,” Kumble said. “But I don’t think there is any dearth of people wanting to play the longer format. I think everybody wants to, they realise that’s the biggest challenge and I’m sure that’s going to be the case for a long time.”Kumble’s advice to the Gen Z cricketer was simple: to be aware that they cannot let their guard down at any time. “You just need to be at it. There are a lot more opportunities for you to come back so that’s the one thing that is an advantage. To not look for anyone else to chart their careers out for them.”One thing I would tell any youngster is don’t look at somebody… Selectors are there to actually drop you, not pick you. Because you pick yourself. At the end of it, your performances count and then you certainly pick yourself. The selector or whoever is picking you is there to drop you not really to pick you… that I think one must be aware of.”Asked to name the single quality they look for in youngsters to judge whether they were in for the long haul, Raman said apart from talent itself, “a good indication is the pace at which a young player improves. Everything else is secondary.” To Kumble it was, “I’d like to look at how he bounces back after failure. How he comes back from a bad game, how he comes out of it.”Kumble accepted that the demand on the modern player in India was both in terms of tougher competition and more intense scrutiny. “One failure and heavens come down on you, that’s the part you need to be mature about handling. But you currently also have more opportunities to come back and show case your talent – in IPL or Ranji Trophy or any other format. It’s understanding what roles you play.” As for distractions Kumble said, while each era had its own share, dealing with it was the job of the player.”Yes there is social media now, but even when we were playing you had everyone else who was an expert- of what I should be bowling and how I should be bowling and when I should be bowling, and per se on whether India should bat first or bowl first or which bowlers should bowl at what time, those comments were always there.”Despite the 24X7 visibility of social media he said, the player’s response needed to be identical across generations, “Every generation just has to make sure that you stay away from all that and focus on all that you need to do, on that particular day and what your goal needs to be.”As for the heightened criticism from social media, Raman said players needed to adapt a “convenient memory.” The players’ job was “to try and be better than can, next time around. You don’t sulk or get absolutely overjoyed. It’s a case of having a convenient memory. Don’t moan keep going, that’s what happens in sport.”

On Saturday lunchtime, Leeds United make the long trip to Plymouth Argyle once again, looking to continue a seven-game Championship winning streak that has seen them leapfrog Southampton and climb into one of the automatic promotion places.

Plymouth are down in 15th place in the table but made life difficult for Leeds in the FA Cup fourth round, forcing a replay by earning a 1-1 draw at Elland Road. Leeds would ultimately win 4-1 at Home Park, but the scoreline was somewhat deceiving because they required extra time to get the job done.

This Leeds academy "goal machine" could be Bamford's successor

Daniel Farke will have to work his magic on the talented young centre-forward.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 16, 2024

Heading into the game, manager Daniel Farke has been monitoring some injury concerns in his squad. Striker Patrick Bamford was initially named in the starting line-up for the midweek trip to Swansea, but Joel Piroe had to replace him at the last minute after he sustained an issue in the warm-up. Speaking after the game, Farke said the player was optimistic that the issue wasn't "too bad", but confirmed that he would undergo specialist examination to determine whether he'd damaged any ankle ligaments.

Elsewhere, Sam Byram missed the game altogether after picking up a muscle injury in the win over Rotherham 3-0. Byram, who was enjoying an "outstanding" season in the words of his manager, was also due to undergo checks.

Bamford and Byram out vs Plymouth

Reporting from Farke's pre-Plymouth press conference, BBC Sport's Adam Pope says that Bamford will be out of action for up to 12 days, while Byram has also been ruled out of the next two.

After playing Plymouth, Leeds face a key game against table-toppers Leicester City next Friday and then head to Chelsea for the FA Cup fifth round on 28 February.

In more positive news, Jamie Shackleton is back available, and Pascal Struijk could ramp up his involvement in training if the results of scans next week are positive. Goalkeeper Karl Darlow, meanwhile, is closing in on rejoining the first-team sessions.

Mixed emotions on Bamford

Leeds were probably particularly nervous about Bamford's injury fate given his track record. As you can see in the table below, the £40k-per-week man has missed 68 games and 437 days with various issues since the 2018/19 season, including an ankle problem that kept him out for nearly six weeks.

In that sense, it's a relief that he should be back within a maximum of three games, but it's still a blow in the sense that he'd been in excellent form, scoring four goals and providing an assist in his last six games.

The Englishman hadn't started a league game all season before that stretch, but seemed to be back in peak condition as Farke picked him in the XI for six straight matches.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson hit out at the referee's performance in the Red Dragons' Carabao Cup defeat to Sheffield United.

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• Parkinson angry with Sheff Utd equaliser
• Wrexham eventually beaten 4-2
• No Carabao Cup run this season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Parkinson was frustrated that Sheffield United's opening goal in their eventual 4-2 first round win was allowed to stand after what the Wrexham boss considered to be a block inside the area as his team defended a corner. Auston Trusty was allowed to ghost in at the far post and head the ball across the line in the 29th minute, moments after Will Boyle had given the League One side the lead.

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  Parkinson believes the game hinged on Trusty's equaliser. Wrexham were certainly good for their 1-0 lead but couldn't hold onto it for very long, and Sheffield United's class told in the second half. It means there won't be a dream Carabao Cup run for the Welsh outfit this season.

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  "It was a tough game, we made a lot of changes so there was always going to be a disjointed feel to us because we pieced the team together with players who needed to get minutes," Parkinson told BBC Sport Wales.

  "We got the first goal but their first goal should never have been allowed, how the referee hasn't seen the block is beyond belief. We know they are clever on corners but when it's as blatant as that I expect the officials to see it.

  "If we had kept the lead until half-time it could have been a different night for us, but goals change games.

  "It's a good work out for us, we never like getting beat in any game, but we will take the lessons from it."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham began their League One campaign with a 3-2 win over Wycombe last Saturday, and they're back in league action this Sunday with a trip to fellow promotion-hopefuls Bolton Wanderers.