Footballer who rugby-tackled streaker in a Borat mankini is sent off for violent disorder

• Crowd's cheers turn to boos as strict ref gives player his marching orders in non-league game

A footballer well and truly saw red when a streaker dressed in a Borat mankini invaded the pitch during the middle of a game.

Because Dorchester Town's Ashley Vickers rugby-tackled the offender to the ground, he was stunned to be sent off by the referee - for violent distorder.

In what must go down as one of the most amazing reasons for dismissal ever, the player was given his marching orders during the Blue Square Bet South clash at Havant and Waterlooville.

The players of both teams had stood and watched bemused as the man ran around the pitch for 30 seconds in his curly black wig to the cheers of the crowd.

But after a few laughable efforts to catch the streaker, Dorchester's player-manager decided he had seen enough and took it upon himself to stop him.

Tackling the problem: Dorchester Town player-manager Ashley Vickers ran after the invader before grabbing him by the shoulders and flinging him to the floor to allow the stewards to remove him

Up close and personal: As Ashley Vickers tussled with the streaker, the referee blew his whistle and showed the defender a straight red card for violent conduct

Vickers, 39, ran after the invader before grabbing him by the shoulders and flinging him to the floor to allow the stewards to remove him.

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The cheers of the 458-strong crowd then turned to boos as Vickers was made to leave the field at a chilly Westleigh Park in Havant, Hampshire, last night.

Vickers said afterwards: 'I'm dumbfounded and speechless.

'A guy ran on to the pitch without any of the stewards getting near him and I thought I was doing them a favour.

'My only thought was to get hold of him so we could get on with the game.

'I managed to grab him and bring him to the ground and the funny thing was the stewards actually thanked me for it.

Fancy dress: The invader, wearing nothing but a bright green mankini and curly black wig, interrupted the non-league game Dorchester Town FC and Havant and Waterlooville FC

'But the ref decided to send me off and it beggars belief. Their players told the ref not to send me off and their chairman even offered to take a player off to even things up.

'No one in the ground, players and supporters alike, will have seen anything like that before and no one will see anything like it again.

'The ref lost the game after that and he knew he had made a great error by the reaction of Havant's players and management.

'In hindsight I perhaps shouldn't have done it but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I am sure people will crucify me for this but I have broad shoulders.'

Wrestled to the ground: The cheers of the 458-strong crowd then turned to boos as Vickers was made to leave the field at a chilly Westleigh Park after knocking the pitch invader to the ground

The unnamed streaker was ejected from the game and has since been banned from attending any future games.

The match was evenly poised at 1-1 at the time of the invasion and the subsequent sending off 70 minutes into the game.

Dorchester had two more players sent off after that for unrelated offences and Havant and Waterlooville went on to win the Blue Square Bet South clash 3-1.

Vickers said: 'We were 1-0 up and playing ever so well.'

A spokesman for Dorchester Town FC said today that they would not be commenting further on the matter until they have seen the referee's report.

Cover-up: The unnamed streaker was ejected from the game and has since been banned from attending any future games

Shaun Gale, manager of Havant and Waterlooville, today said he felt sorry for Vickers.

He said: 'As a club, we are not happy with the situation because it is not football and distracts from the game.

'We do our best to prevent people getting onto the pitch and it is the first time it has happened at Westleigh Park but it has happened at bigger venues, like Wembley.

'It may have been high jinks and given a few people a laugh but I feel sorry for Ashley Vickers, who thought he was doing the right thing.

'I spoke to him after the match and he was devastated.

Seeing red: 'The stewards looked disinterested - the players were all stood doing nothing - one person takes action against this idiot and you send him off - how does that work?', said one attendee

'The referee has apparently stuck to the letter of the law in sending him off for violent conduct but it is not a rule I knew.

'Next time a streaker comes onto the pitch, I have told my players to stand back and wait for the authorities to deal with it.'

He added: 'We were on top in the second half and I would like to think we would have won anyway but the sending off certainly caused Dorchester to lose their heads.

'The streaker will now be banned from the stadium.'

One Havant and Waterlooville fan later wrote on an internet message board: 'I was at the game and thought it was a ridiculous piece of reffing. There was only six stewards and matey could have easily got away. It ruined the game as a contest after that.'

Another wrote: 'Ref - you are a prized plonker.

'The stewards looked disinterested - the players were all stood doing nothing - one person takes action against this idiot and you send him off - how does that work?'

Mum, I think I've got a splinter! Cyclist's leg skewered by shard of wood in crash... and he re-mounts and FINISHES race

A top cyclist who crashed as he raced behind British champion Sir Chris Hoy was skewered with a 20cm splinter - but got back on his bike to finish an amazing THIRD.

Azizulhasni Awang was in the final bend of a world title race yesterday, when four of the six riders crashed in a scene of carnage behind Sir Chris, the winner.

The 23-year-old's calf was skewered by a shard of Siberian pine from the track, but he recovered to remount his bike and take third place, behind Sir Chris and Jason Niblett in the men's Keirin final at the Track World Cup.

Agony: The splinter pierced Awang's calf, from back to front

Injured: The Malaysian rider gets treated by a medic after the accident at the Manchester Velodrome

But, once over the finish line, Awang collapsed in agony before he was taken away on a stretcher.

The 23-year-old was unable to receive his bronze medal on the podium, and will have the wood from the Manchester Velodrome track removed from his leg today at the city's Royal Infirmary.

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Awang has won World Championship medals in the last two seasons and is renowned for his trademark wheelie as he crosses the line. He has been ruled out of next month's World Championships.

A scan late last night assessed the injury, but doctors decided to wait until today to tackle the splinter.

Malaysia head coach John Beasley said: 'They said it's best if they do it with all their experts around and when everyone's fresh.

'The only way they can do it is by surgically going in from both ends and spreading it apart and pulling it out.'

Pain: Awang's face shows the pain of his injuries after the splinter pierced his calf

Unbearable: Awang tried to control his pain at the Velodrome

He said he was unaware of the splinter when he helped Awang back to his bike, checking the rider's head and state of mind, but not assessing his body for injuries.

'I feel really bad because I didn't even see it," added the head coach, who believes adrenaline took Awang across the line.

'It wasn't until later I knew he had the splinter.'

Awang will return to his home in Melbourne next week and is due to get married in April.

Beasley added: 'He'll be right for the Olympics. Hopefully Sir Chris Hoy will be in second place and he'll be on the top.'

Although rare, such injuries are not unusual in track cycling and Jason Queally, the Sydney Olympic champion, famously now rides only against the clock - rather than elbow-to-elbow races - after crashing at the Meadowbank track in Edinburgh in 1996 and being pierced by an 18-inch piece of wood.

Boy wonder Alex Chamberlain will sign for Arsenal: Arsene Wenger wins £10m chase for teenager

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will end the chase for the teenager rated the most talented in English football.

Every major Premier League club, including Manchester City, Liverpool and Newcastle United, have been tracking Southampton boy wonder Alex Chamberlain.

Rare talent: Alex Chamberlain

But the 17-year-old midfielder visited Arsenal's training ground on Friday, met manager Wenger and will sign a £10million deal after talks with chief executive Ivan Gatzidis on Wednesday.

Only a last-minute offer from City could disrupt the move but Chamberlain, the son of former England winger Mark Chamberlain, and his advisers will choose the club they believe will best help the teenager develop.

Arsenal's record in furthering the careers of England's Theo Walcott - also signed from Southampton as a teenager - and Welsh star Aaron Ramsey is understood to have convinced him.

They have yet to finalise a fee with Southampton but Saints will not stand in Chamberlain's way.

Hot property: Arsenal have moved quickly for Chamberlain

An initial payment of £7m is likely to be followed by supplementary fees when the England Under-18 international reaches the first team.

Arsenal may even loan Chamberlain back to Saints for the rest of the season. He made his League One debut as a substitute last March at the age of 16 years and 199 days, making him the secondyoungest player in the club's history, after Walcott.

A goal on his full Saints debut in the Carling Cup clash with Bournemouth in August highlighted his potential and he signed a professional contract at St Mary's that month.

Chamberlain, booked yesterday in Saints' 2-0 defeat at Tranmere, has impressed the top clubs with his range of passing and all-round vision.

He also has great pace, inherited from his father, who won eight England caps while playing for Stoke in the Eighties.

Boy wonder Alex Chamberlain will sign for Arsenal: Arsene Wenger wins £10m chase for teenager

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will end the chase for the teenager rated the most talented in English football.

Every major Premier League club, including Manchester City, Liverpool and Newcastle United, have been tracking Southampton boy wonder Alex Chamberlain.

Rare talent: Alex Chamberlain

But the 17-year-old midfielder visited Arsenal's training ground on Friday, met manager Wenger and will sign a £10million deal after talks with chief executive Ivan Gatzidis on Wednesday.

Only a last-minute offer from City could disrupt the move but Chamberlain, the son of former England winger Mark Chamberlain, and his advisers will choose the club they believe will best help the teenager develop.

Arsenal's record in furthering the careers of England's Theo Walcott - also signed from Southampton as a teenager - and Welsh star Aaron Ramsey is understood to have convinced him.

They have yet to finalise a fee with Southampton but Saints will not stand in Chamberlain's way.

Hot property: Arsenal have moved quickly for Chamberlain

An initial payment of £7m is likely to be followed by supplementary fees when the England Under-18 international reaches the first team.

Arsenal may even loan Chamberlain back to Saints for the rest of the season. He made his League One debut as a substitute last March at the age of 16 years and 199 days, making him the secondyoungest player in the club's history, after Walcott.

A goal on his full Saints debut in the Carling Cup clash with Bournemouth in August highlighted his potential and he signed a professional contract at St Mary's that month.

Chamberlain, booked yesterday in Saints' 2-0 defeat at Tranmere, has impressed the top clubs with his range of passing and all-round vision.

He also has great pace, inherited from his father, who won eight England caps while playing for Stoke in the Eighties.

I've been knocked out by the changes at Liverpool

If I've appreciated anything in the past fortnight at Liverpool, it is the unbelievable facilities at the club's Melwood training ground. It is dominated by a state-of-the-art pavilion, complete with video-editing suites, a sport science department and fantastic medical facilities.

I remember what used to be there; a supposed all-weather gravel pitch. They called it all-weather because we could use it when it snowed. In actual fact, the only time you could play on it was when it was covered by four inches of snow. The rest of the time, it was too hard.

A whole new ball game: Fernando Torres is put through his paces

More from Kenny Dalglish...

• Kenny Dalglish: Millionaire stars should be forever grateful to '61 heroes 15/01/11
• Kenny Dalglish: Fernando Torres will relish his chance to give Nemanja Vidic another nightmare 08/01/11
• Kenny Dalglish: Villa's players should look in the mirror for someone to blame 01/01/11
• Kenny Dalglish: What a year for those Spanish magicians and a Welsh wizard 25/12/10
• Kenny Dalglish: Blackburn owners must match big talk with hard cash 18/12/10
• Kenny Dalglish: Mancini's Man City prove why defence should come first 11/12/10
• Kenny Dalglish: If Qatar can be hosts of the World Cup, why not Scotland? 04/12/10
• Kenny Dalglish: Ancelotti is the real Special One, not manipulator Mourinho 27/11/10
• VIEW FULL ARCHIVE

Nowadays, the club has everything it needs, which is how it should be. When you consider the huge investment in players, it is only right to have the best facilities possible to get the best out of them.

It was Graeme Souness (manager) and Peter Robinson (club secretary) who moved everything over to Melwood. Before then, all the players used to travel to Anfield, leave our cars and get taken by bus to training.

It was a fantastic atmosphere, with a fair amount of banter, as you can imagine with the likes of Ronnie Whelan and Alan Hansen around. After training, we'd all pile back on the bus and eat back at Anfield - a three-course lunch usually polished off with apple pie and custard.

Another thing that has changed in this pasta-conscious age! That was then, and this is now. Of course, certain things will have changed from the time I played for Liverpool and later managed them, but I have been knocked out with what I've had to work with.

You can video-edit matches to look at tactical issues in detail. The sport science department gives you instant results on how players have trained, down to which blood counts are up or down. It's informative stuff and helpful in preparing players for matches.

The medical facilities are fantastic. The quicker you can diagnose a player's injury, the better chance you have of getting him out on the pitch.

Nothing is spared. The training pitches have undersoil heating so there is no need to play on the gravel!

Melwood is still recognisable of course, just not as we knew it. There used to be an old pavilion with a couple of small dressing rooms for the A and B teams, showers and a basic gym. There wasn't a canteen that you'd recognise, just room to boil a kettle and make a cup of tea.

The amount of people who work at the club is enormous compared with what it was, but it is not a sports science department working in isolation from the scouting department working separately from the coaches. Everyone has to work together.

Back in the day: Kenny Dalglish in training (left) and Bill Shankly puts the players through their paces

The number of players in the firstteam squad is larger as well and, without those bus rides from Anfield to Melwood, team spirit has to be created in a different way. The players eat lunch together after training.

The food was excellent 20 years ago, but I'm sure it's better now for professional athletes, with the menus dictated by sports science. The idea in 1990 was to give the players a three-course meal for lunch. Soup maybe for starters, a main course of steak, chicken or Scouse, and then a dessert: apple pie and custard I remember with particular fondness. One of the reasons not to spare the portions was to ensure the single lads in the squad would be guaranteed at least one hearty meal a day.

The menu now is fish, chicken, steak, pasta, salads; food to give you energy. I'm sure if you asked quietly for apple pie and custard, the canteen might try to sort it out, but I don't think the sports scientists would like it.

The only downside is it is murder for the staff, like me, because you have to eat healthily as well. You don't want to set a bad example!

To be serious, though, I have always embraced progress. For me, the important thing is to interpret and use science and technology in the right way - to get the club results on the pitch. That's what all of us are employed for.

I've been through a lot of the progress in sports science. But as I said, even though it is all well and good having the information, the important thing is how you interpret it. A wealth of statistics without the nous of how to use them is not much good to anyone. We are all focused on one thing - getting results on the pitch.

£24m for Bent? Transfer fees are out of control

The transfer market is a strange place, as we've seen with Darren Bent's transfer to Aston Villa last week for anything between £18million and £24m, depending on what you read.

No disrespect to Bent, who has no say over the fee he commands, but it has been the case for many years that British players seem to cost more than overseas ones.

Bent opens account: £24m striker scores on his Villa debut

I just find it amazing that although there is a huge concern about the financial well-being of football clubs, there is no end to spiralling transfer fees. It seems football is going against the trend seen in just about every other business in the country.

Financially, they seem to be tightening their belts but football clubs continue to spend more on transfer fees and wages.

It's just as well clubs have wealthy owners because they are needed to pursue the dream.

As soon as one player goes for an extortionate fee, others will follow. Steve Bruce will find as he looks at replacements for Bent that the value of his transfer targets has also gone up.

I can't understand why the Premier League do not introduce guidelines so that agents' fees are a set percentage of every transfer fee. If it's 10 per cent of a transfer, or the players' wages, across the board, at least clubs will know where they stand and it won't have to be negotiated separately on every deal. I can't believe it isn't regulated like that.

It might not stop the inflated transfer fees that are out of step with the rest of the country, but it may be a starting point to help.

It is getting harder to take pledges and promises at face value in modern sport. If FIFA can award a summer World Cup to Qatar and then float the idea of playing it in winter, how can other people be anything but suspicious?

Now the London Olympic bid team are under fire because Spurs want to knock down the athletics track at Stratford after the GB bid team made it a vital part of the 'legacy' that won them the Games in the first place.

Spurs say they will build a world-class athletics facility in another part of London if they get the Olympic Stadium. OK, but why don't they build it first? It is the only way of knowing it is going to happen.

Likewise, the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland FAs are suspicious about fielding players in the Great Britain Olympic team in London, fearing they could lose their identity as separate nations at the World Cup and European Championships.

FIFA have indicated that wouldn't happen, but given the world governing body's recent history, could you take them at their word?

I've been knocked out by the changes at Liverpool

If I've appreciated anything in the past fortnight at Liverpool, it is the unbelievable facilities at the club's Melwood training ground. It is dominated by a state-of-the-art pavilion, complete with video-editing suites, a sport science department and fantastic medical facilities.

I remember what used to be there; a supposed all-weather gravel pitch. They called it all-weather because we could use it when it snowed. In actual fact, the only time you could play on it was when it was covered by four inches of snow. The rest of the time, it was too hard.

A whole new ball game: Fernando Torres is put through his paces

More from Kenny Dalglish...

• Kenny Dalglish: Millionaire stars should be forever grateful to '61 heroes 15/01/11
• Kenny Dalglish: Fernando Torres will relish his chance to give Nemanja Vidic another nightmare 08/01/11
• Kenny Dalglish: Villa's players should look in the mirror for someone to blame 01/01/11
• Kenny Dalglish: What a year for those Spanish magicians and a Welsh wizard 25/12/10
• Kenny Dalglish: Blackburn owners must match big talk with hard cash 18/12/10
• Kenny Dalglish: Mancini's Man City prove why defence should come first 11/12/10
• Kenny Dalglish: If Qatar can be hosts of the World Cup, why not Scotland? 04/12/10
• Kenny Dalglish: Ancelotti is the real Special One, not manipulator Mourinho 27/11/10
• VIEW FULL ARCHIVE

Nowadays, the club has everything it needs, which is how it should be. When you consider the huge investment in players, it is only right to have the best facilities possible to get the best out of them.

It was Graeme Souness (manager) and Peter Robinson (club secretary) who moved everything over to Melwood. Before then, all the players used to travel to Anfield, leave our cars and get taken by bus to training.

It was a fantastic atmosphere, with a fair amount of banter, as you can imagine with the likes of Ronnie Whelan and Alan Hansen around. After training, we'd all pile back on the bus and eat back at Anfield - a three-course lunch usually polished off with apple pie and custard.

Another thing that has changed in this pasta-conscious age! That was then, and this is now. Of course, certain things will have changed from the time I played for Liverpool and later managed them, but I have been knocked out with what I've had to work with.

You can video-edit matches to look at tactical issues in detail. The sport science department gives you instant results on how players have trained, down to which blood counts are up or down. It's informative stuff and helpful in preparing players for matches.

The medical facilities are fantastic. The quicker you can diagnose a player's injury, the better chance you have of getting him out on the pitch.

Nothing is spared. The training pitches have undersoil heating so there is no need to play on the gravel!

Melwood is still recognisable of course, just not as we knew it. There used to be an old pavilion with a couple of small dressing rooms for the A and B teams, showers and a basic gym. There wasn't a canteen that you'd recognise, just room to boil a kettle and make a cup of tea.

The amount of people who work at the club is enormous compared with what it was, but it is not a sports science department working in isolation from the scouting department working separately from the coaches. Everyone has to work together.

Back in the day: Kenny Dalglish in training (left) and Bill Shankly puts the players through their paces

The number of players in the firstteam squad is larger as well and, without those bus rides from Anfield to Melwood, team spirit has to be created in a different way. The players eat lunch together after training.

The food was excellent 20 years ago, but I'm sure it's better now for professional athletes, with the menus dictated by sports science. The idea in 1990 was to give the players a three-course meal for lunch. Soup maybe for starters, a main course of steak, chicken or Scouse, and then a dessert: apple pie and custard I remember with particular fondness. One of the reasons not to spare the portions was to ensure the single lads in the squad would be guaranteed at least one hearty meal a day.

The menu now is fish, chicken, steak, pasta, salads; food to give you energy. I'm sure if you asked quietly for apple pie and custard, the canteen might try to sort it out, but I don't think the sports scientists would like it.

The only downside is it is murder for the staff, like me, because you have to eat healthily as well. You don't want to set a bad example!

To be serious, though, I have always embraced progress. For me, the important thing is to interpret and use science and technology in the right way - to get the club results on the pitch. That's what all of us are employed for.

I've been through a lot of the progress in sports science. But as I said, even though it is all well and good having the information, the important thing is how you interpret it. A wealth of statistics without the nous of how to use them is not much good to anyone. We are all focused on one thing - getting results on the pitch.

£24m for Bent? Transfer fees are out of control

The transfer market is a strange place, as we've seen with Darren Bent's transfer to Aston Villa last week for anything between £18million and £24m, depending on what you read.

No disrespect to Bent, who has no say over the fee he commands, but it has been the case for many years that British players seem to cost more than overseas ones.

Bent opens account: £24m striker scores on his Villa debut

I just find it amazing that although there is a huge concern about the financial well-being of football clubs, there is no end to spiralling transfer fees. It seems football is going against the trend seen in just about every other business in the country.

Financially, they seem to be tightening their belts but football clubs continue to spend more on transfer fees and wages.

It's just as well clubs have wealthy owners because they are needed to pursue the dream.

As soon as one player goes for an extortionate fee, others will follow. Steve Bruce will find as he looks at replacements for Bent that the value of his transfer targets has also gone up.

I can't understand why the Premier League do not introduce guidelines so that agents' fees are a set percentage of every transfer fee. If it's 10 per cent of a transfer, or the players' wages, across the board, at least clubs will know where they stand and it won't have to be negotiated separately on every deal. I can't believe it isn't regulated like that.

It might not stop the inflated transfer fees that are out of step with the rest of the country, but it may be a starting point to help.

It is getting harder to take pledges and promises at face value in modern sport. If FIFA can award a summer World Cup to Qatar and then float the idea of playing it in winter, how can other people be anything but suspicious?

Now the London Olympic bid team are under fire because Spurs want to knock down the athletics track at Stratford after the GB bid team made it a vital part of the 'legacy' that won them the Games in the first place.

Spurs say they will build a world-class athletics facility in another part of London if they get the Olympic Stadium. OK, but why don't they build it first? It is the only way of knowing it is going to happen.

Likewise, the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland FAs are suspicious about fielding players in the Great Britain Olympic team in London, fearing they could lose their identity as separate nations at the World Cup and European Championships.

FIFA have indicated that wouldn't happen, but given the world governing body's recent history, could you take them at their word?

Wolves 0 Liverpool 3: Torres turns it on as Dalglish celebrates first victory

Just as Liverpool's season looked like it had gone to the dogs, they went to the Wolves and rediscovered their bite.

At the fourth time of asking in his 'Second Coming' as manager, Kenny Dalglish oversaw the first win of his 21st century reign, and his first in charge of Liverpool for 20 years.

Significantly, victory was secured thanks to two goals from Fernando Torres, indicating that the Spain striker and perhaps his club have turned a corner.

Net result: Fernando Torres (right) finishes off a well-worked move to give Liverpool the lead

Those strikes bookended the other goal, from the outstanding Raul Meireles, who demonstrated that Steven Gerrard's absence need not automatically guarantee a decline in team performance.

Gerrard was suspended and is available for Wednesday's home game with Fulham, the first of back-to-back fixtures at Anfield.

Yesterday's result lifted Liverpool into the top half of the table and a decent run would see them close in on European places, if not Champions League qualification.

'At the moment the feeling is elation,' said Dalglish, having been asked if the victory came as a relief, following defeats by Manchester United (FA Cup) and Blackpool (league), before last Sunday's draw in the Merseyside derby.

'It may have been comprehensive in the end but that was because of the effort and a tremendous amount of hard work throughout the game. We had fantastic effort from all the players and they got their reward.

'That was a tough game. If you don't compete when you come to Molineux, you won't walk away with anything other than a defeat.'

Delicate: Raul Meireles connects with a beautiful volley to give Wayne Hennessey no chance

Like the first three games for Dalglish, the opening half-hour was not, in truth, inspiring. For all the effort and glimpses of hope, there was nothing solid to celebrate.

The first chance took 21 minutes to arrive, Meireles sending a long diagonal ball from inside his own half to Torres, who rounded Christophe Berra and shot at Wayne Hennessey with little venom.The keeper palmed it away easily.

Wolves had two chances, each falling to Nenad Milijas. The first was a free-kick in the 25th minute, skied over the bar.

The second, at the end of the first half, was a poked effort at close range, blocked by Pepe Reina. Steven Fletcher's 66th-minute stinging shot was as close as the hosts otherwise got to scoring. By the time Reina stopped that, Liverpool were two ahead.

The opener came at the end of a move started and finished by Torres.

Three and easy: Fernando Torres seals Liverpool victory

He laid the ball off to Lucas and ran, leaving the Brazilian to pass to Meireles, who supplied the ball for Torres to apply the finish.

Shouts for offside against Meireles were ignored as referee Martin Atkinson accepted the decision of his lineswoman, Sian Massey, that the move was legitimate.

Replays vindicated her call. Meireles and Torres had both started to exert influence before the opener, the former flashing a free-kick wide, and Torres setting up Maxi Rodriguez for a shot.

Meireles scored five minutes into the second half when smacking a volley into the top corner from Daniel Agger's free-kick, which was lofted half the length of the pitch.

If the two-goal margin was no more than Liverpool deserved against a Wolves side short on ideas and devoid of incisive crossing until Adam Hammill came on for his debut, then establishing it freed them to play more expansively.

Official move: Assistant referee Sian Massey at Molineux

Torres looked a man reborn, chasing and harrying, running into space and with the ball at his feet. He looked likely to get a second four minutes from time but Richard Stearman held firm in a blocking challenge.

Torres did get his second in added time, though, sweeping in low after Dirk Kuyt's run down the left.

'That was Fernando's best game since I came back,' said Dalglish, adding praise, too, for Meireles.

'We were delighted with his play and with his commitment,' the Scot added of the 27-year-old Portuguese, now coming good after his £11.5 million move from Porto last summer.

'All in all, it's been a good day at the office.'

Wolves 0 Liverpool 3: Torres turns it on as Dalglish celebrates first victory

Just as Liverpool's season looked like it had gone to the dogs, they went to the Wolves and rediscovered their bite.

At the fourth time of asking in his 'Second Coming' as manager, Kenny Dalglish oversaw the first win of his 21st century reign, and his first in charge of Liverpool for 20 years.

Significantly, victory was secured thanks to two goals from Fernando Torres, indicating that the Spain striker and perhaps his club have turned a corner.

Net result: Fernando Torres (right) finishes off a well-worked move to give Liverpool the lead

Those strikes bookended the other goal, from the outstanding Raul Meireles, who demonstrated that Steven Gerrard's absence need not automatically guarantee a decline in team performance.

Gerrard was suspended and is available for Wednesday's home game with Fulham, the first of back-to-back fixtures at Anfield.

Yesterday's result lifted Liverpool into the top half of the table and a decent run would see them close in on European places, if not Champions League qualification.

'At the moment the feeling is elation,' said Dalglish, having been asked if the victory came as a relief, following defeats by Manchester United (FA Cup) and Blackpool (league), before last Sunday's draw in the Merseyside derby.

'It may have been comprehensive in the end but that was because of the effort and a tremendous amount of hard work throughout the game. We had fantastic effort from all the players and they got their reward.

'That was a tough game. If you don't compete when you come to Molineux, you won't walk away with anything other than a defeat.'

Delicate: Raul Meireles connects with a beautiful volley to give Wayne Hennessey no chance

Like the first three games for Dalglish, the opening half-hour was not, in truth, inspiring. For all the effort and glimpses of hope, there was nothing solid to celebrate.

The first chance took 21 minutes to arrive, Meireles sending a long diagonal ball from inside his own half to Torres, who rounded Christophe Berra and shot at Wayne Hennessey with little venom.The keeper palmed it away easily.

Wolves had two chances, each falling to Nenad Milijas. The first was a free-kick in the 25th minute, skied over the bar.

The second, at the end of the first half, was a poked effort at close range, blocked by Pepe Reina. Steven Fletcher's 66th-minute stinging shot was as close as the hosts otherwise got to scoring. By the time Reina stopped that, Liverpool were two ahead.

The opener came at the end of a move started and finished by Torres.

Three and easy: Fernando Torres seals Liverpool victory

He laid the ball off to Lucas and ran, leaving the Brazilian to pass to Meireles, who supplied the ball for Torres to apply the finish.

Shouts for offside against Meireles were ignored as referee Martin Atkinson accepted the decision of his lineswoman, Sian Massey, that the move was legitimate.

Replays vindicated her call. Meireles and Torres had both started to exert influence before the opener, the former flashing a free-kick wide, and Torres setting up Maxi Rodriguez for a shot.

Meireles scored five minutes into the second half when smacking a volley into the top corner from Daniel Agger's free-kick, which was lofted half the length of the pitch.

If the two-goal margin was no more than Liverpool deserved against a Wolves side short on ideas and devoid of incisive crossing until Adam Hammill came on for his debut, then establishing it freed them to play more expansively.

Official move: Assistant referee Sian Massey at Molineux

Torres looked a man reborn, chasing and harrying, running into space and with the ball at his feet. He looked likely to get a second four minutes from time but Richard Stearman held firm in a blocking challenge.

Torres did get his second in added time, though, sweeping in low after Dirk Kuyt's run down the left.

'That was Fernando's best game since I came back,' said Dalglish, adding praise, too, for Meireles.

'We were delighted with his play and with his commitment,' the Scot added of the 27-year-old Portuguese, now coming good after his £11.5 million move from Porto last summer.

'All in all, it's been a good day at the office.'

Aston Villa 1 Manchester City 0: £24m man Darren Bent begins payback with debut winner

Darren Bent has been called quite a few things in the wake of his controversial and dramatic transfer from Sunderland in the past week, and to the collection of brickbats and bouquets he can now add: The saviour of Aston Villa's season.

For yesterday at Villa Park was not the time to hold back on the hype.

If you leave a top-six team to join a club who have won just one Premier League match in 10 - perhaps even heading towards the Championship - for a sum as huge as £24million, then an immediate impact is required.

Quick off the mark: Darren Bent took just 18 minutes to open his Aston Villa account

And inspiring the defeat of billionaire title contenders Manchester City, who had lost one game in 17, is presumably what Villa manager Gerard Houllier had in mind when he suggested the move. As City's title ambitions took a heavy blow - one from which they may not recover - Villa's season seemed revived.

True, they rode their luck. Indeed, twice in the last 10 minutes deflected shots left goalkeeper Brad Friedel stranded, with the post coming to the rescue on the first instance when Nigel de Jong's shot deflected off the fallen Ciaran Clark as it headed goalwards.

And, of course, Villa relied on the counter-attack, ceding possesion to City and relying on stalwart performances from James Collins and Richard Dunne to shield them.

Yet, if they can play with the verve and vigour they displayed here, they will surely remain in the Premier League. Bent's big moment came on 18 minutes.It was not quite his first touch, but it was certainly his first significant contribution.

Making his point: Bent became an instant hit with Villa supporters

The reason he consistently commands enormous transfer fees became evident shortly after Kolo Toure's sloppy pass allowed David Silva to be dispossessed and Ashley Young began his run goalwards.

Young was clearly set on unleashing a shot and when he did it was a fine one, which Joe Hart only succeeded in pushing aside.

And yet, who should be first to react? Who had anticipated the rebound? Who was ever alert to the possibility of some goal scraps? Inevitably, it was the debut man.

Cool as you like, Bent struck his opening goal for Villa confidently past the sprawling Hart before saluting his new fans.

It is for moments such as this that Premier League chairmen blow millions in a blind panic when threatened with relegation. Bent's instincts and the goal itself transformed the mood at Villa Park.

'One Randy Lerner,' chanted the Villa fans, which has to be worth £24m of any man's money.

Still waiting: £27million man Edin Dzeko (left) is yet to score in England

Prior to that, City had looked much the better side. With a central midfield of Young and Stewart Downing, Villa had admirable attacking intent but were in danger of being swamped by the power of City, who dominated possession, even if their final delivery was lacking.

Gareth Barry embarrassingly overhit a free-kick high into the Holte End, much to the delight of his former admirers, who baited him at every opportunity until he was substituted in the second half.

Similarly, Carlos Tevez could only manage an air-shot when Barry fired over a corner, while Edin Dzeko, a £27m striker, could not connect with Aleksander Kolarov's bullet-like cross on 33 minutes.

The Bosnian made a number of quality contributions but could not match Bent's intervention. Dzeko almost managed to play in Tevez on 37 minutes only for Dunne to clear high into the Holte End.

City's best first-half effort came from a Jerome Boateng cross and a flicked header from Barry, which flew narrowly wide.

Villa, though, were holding their own, with Dunne and Collins resolute.

No love lost: Gareth Barry (centre) was routinely booed on his return to Villa Park

Dzeko almost opened his Premier League account on 50 minutes.

Kolarov drilled a corner towards the Bosnian who connected with a sharp header, only to see his attempt just clear the crossbar.

With the pace of Adam Johnson on for Barry, City continued to dominate but Villa remained unmoved.

When Boateng hit a tremendous half-volley from the edge of the box, Friedel parried it away. Villa's back four and holding midfielder Stiliyan Petrov stood firm.

When De Jong's shot came back off a post to safety it was clear it would be Villa - and Bent's - day.

Aston Villa 1 Manchester City 0: £24m man Darren Bent begins payback with debut winner

Darren Bent has been called quite a few things in the wake of his controversial and dramatic transfer from Sunderland in the past week, and to the collection of brickbats and bouquets he can now add: The saviour of Aston Villa's season.

For yesterday at Villa Park was not the time to hold back on the hype.

If you leave a top-six team to join a club who have won just one Premier League match in 10 - perhaps even heading towards the Championship - for a sum as huge as £24million, then an immediate impact is required.

Quick off the mark: Darren Bent took just 18 minutes to open his Aston Villa account

And inspiring the defeat of billionaire title contenders Manchester City, who had lost one game in 17, is presumably what Villa manager Gerard Houllier had in mind when he suggested the move. As City's title ambitions took a heavy blow - one from which they may not recover - Villa's season seemed revived.

True, they rode their luck. Indeed, twice in the last 10 minutes deflected shots left goalkeeper Brad Friedel stranded, with the post coming to the rescue on the first instance when Nigel de Jong's shot deflected off the fallen Ciaran Clark as it headed goalwards.

And, of course, Villa relied on the counter-attack, ceding possesion to City and relying on stalwart performances from James Collins and Richard Dunne to shield them.

Yet, if they can play with the verve and vigour they displayed here, they will surely remain in the Premier League. Bent's big moment came on 18 minutes.It was not quite his first touch, but it was certainly his first significant contribution.

Making his point: Bent became an instant hit with Villa supporters

The reason he consistently commands enormous transfer fees became evident shortly after Kolo Toure's sloppy pass allowed David Silva to be dispossessed and Ashley Young began his run goalwards.

Young was clearly set on unleashing a shot and when he did it was a fine one, which Joe Hart only succeeded in pushing aside.

And yet, who should be first to react? Who had anticipated the rebound? Who was ever alert to the possibility of some goal scraps? Inevitably, it was the debut man.

Cool as you like, Bent struck his opening goal for Villa confidently past the sprawling Hart before saluting his new fans.

It is for moments such as this that Premier League chairmen blow millions in a blind panic when threatened with relegation. Bent's instincts and the goal itself transformed the mood at Villa Park.

'One Randy Lerner,' chanted the Villa fans, which has to be worth £24m of any man's money.

Still waiting: £27million man Edin Dzeko (left) is yet to score in England

Prior to that, City had looked much the better side. With a central midfield of Young and Stewart Downing, Villa had admirable attacking intent but were in danger of being swamped by the power of City, who dominated possession, even if their final delivery was lacking.

Gareth Barry embarrassingly overhit a free-kick high into the Holte End, much to the delight of his former admirers, who baited him at every opportunity until he was substituted in the second half.

Similarly, Carlos Tevez could only manage an air-shot when Barry fired over a corner, while Edin Dzeko, a £27m striker, could not connect with Aleksander Kolarov's bullet-like cross on 33 minutes.

The Bosnian made a number of quality contributions but could not match Bent's intervention. Dzeko almost managed to play in Tevez on 37 minutes only for Dunne to clear high into the Holte End.

City's best first-half effort came from a Jerome Boateng cross and a flicked header from Barry, which flew narrowly wide.

Villa, though, were holding their own, with Dunne and Collins resolute.

No love lost: Gareth Barry (centre) was routinely booed on his return to Villa Park

Dzeko almost opened his Premier League account on 50 minutes.

Kolarov drilled a corner towards the Bosnian who connected with a sharp header, only to see his attempt just clear the crossbar.

With the pace of Adam Johnson on for Barry, City continued to dominate but Villa remained unmoved.

When Boateng hit a tremendous half-volley from the edge of the box, Friedel parried it away. Villa's back four and holding midfielder Stiliyan Petrov stood firm.

When De Jong's shot came back off a post to safety it was clear it would be Villa - and Bent's - day.