(Get) A Sporting Life

Time to sigh : Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany will miss his club's next four matches after the Premier League leaders failed Tuesday in its appeal against the defender's red card against Manchester United. Kompany was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Nani in the 12th minute of Sunday's FA Cup match. United beat 10-man City 3-2. City manager Roberto Mancini said United striker Wayne Rooney pressured referee Chris Foy into showing the red card but the Football Association rejected City's attempt to have the decision overturned. "The suspension consists of a statutory three-match suspension for serious foul play plus one additional game given this is Kompany's second dismissal of the season,'' the FA said. The FA ought to just do away with the fiction there is an actual "appeal" process that might be effectual. Its hard to take them seriously when Kompany's "serious foul play" doesn't involve actually touching an ...

Well, not everything is lost : Notts County eased any relegation fears with a comfortable win over Colchester. The U's David Mooney went close early on as his 25-yard chip beat Magpies goalkeeper Stuart Nelson, only to clip the post and bounce wide. Notts then wrested control of the game and went ahead when Alan Gow set free Craig Westcarr, who poked the ball past Mark Cousins and tapped home. It was 2-0 soon afterwards when Nathan Clarke deflected Connor Clifford's corner into his own net. It wasn't that there was a credible relegation fear really, but there were a couple poor performances of late. The Pies may be only 4 points above the drop zone, but because of all the crappy weather this winter they have four games in hand on both Swindon and Walsall. Notts have only one game in hand on Dag & Red, but they are 7 points back. As for Bristol Rovers, the less said the better. Next up is the FA Cup replay at Manchester City. That could get ugly, but the payday should b...