QPR 0 Coventry 1

Sheffield United emerged victorious from the Steel City derby against rivals Wednesday to keep up the pressure on Coca-Cola Championship leaders Reading.

Arsenal saw off Sunderland 3-0 tonight at the Stadium of Light, despite making 10 changes from the side which beat Manchester City in the Premiership on Saturday.

Leeds United 2 Millwall 1

West Ham have released former Scotland midfielder Don Hutchison.

Alan Pardew has told the West Ham board to forget their reported £30m (€45m) debt and allow him to sign new players if the club win promotion to the Barclays Premiership.

Crystal Palace 1 West Ham 0

West Ham and Crystal Palace both went into today’s Nationwide First Division play-off final with fully-fit squads.

West Ham manager Alan Pardew has a fully-fit squad to choose from for the play-off final against Crystal Palace.

West Ham manager Alan Pardew kept faith with the starting line-up which lost the Nationwide Division One play-off semi-final first leg 1-0 at Ipswich last weekend.

Rufus Brevett is set to return to the West Ham squad for their play-off semi-final second leg clash with Ipswich after nine months out with a foot injury.

West Ham manager Alan Pardew decided to tinker despite his side’s impressive recent form, recalling Tomas Repka in defence and David Connolly up front.

Nottingham Forest midfielder Andy Reid, rated at £10m (€14.8m) by boss Joe Kinnear, has admitted he faces some big decisions over the summer.

Scotland 1 Lithuania 0

BERTI VOGTS is confident Paul Lambert will lead out Scotland in Dortmund on Wednesday. The captain had to sit out Saturday’s defeat of the Faroe Islands because of an ankle problem.

Goals from Manchester United target Jermain Defoe and new signing David Connolly rescued West Ham from a disastrous start to their first Nationwide League campaign in a decade as Glenn Roeder’s title favourites grabbed a much-needed win.

Manchester United target Jermain Defoe took just five minutes to show why he could become the latest big-name departure from West Ham this summer.

Christian Dailly insists the loss of Don Hutchison will be a massive blow for Scotland this weekend – because he is the player Germany fear the most.

West Ham managing director Paul Aldridge was quick to promise there would be no “fire sale” following the club’s relegation from the Barclaycard Premiership.

PAOLO di CANIO has hit back at claims his outbursts against Glenn Roeder were partly to blame for the pressures on the West Ham manager, now recovering from a minor stroke.

Manchester City 0

Freddie Kanoute grabbed a Premiership lifeline for West Ham with his 80th-minute winner against Manchester City at Maine Road.

Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson have recovered from gastritis and are in the West Ham squad to face Everton at Goodison Park tomorrow.

West Ham’s survival hopes are in danger of being hampered by a combination of illness, injury and suspension to key players.

Both managers were looking for firsts from this Hampden Park friendly – new Ireland boss Brian Kerr was seeking a win with his first team selection since succeeding Mick McCarthy, while Scotland manager Berti Vogts was targeting his first victory at the national stadium just days before he celebrates a year in the job.

BRIAN KERR yesterday admitted he did not know whether former captain Roy Keane has made the decision to return to international duty.

Scotland manager Berti Vogts has handed Don Hutchison the chance to make his international comeback by naming him in the squad to face the Republic of Ireland.

Glenn Roeder was tonight in a race against time to finalise his second eleventh-hour swoop of a frantic transfer deadline day at Upton Park.

Brian Kerr will announce his squad for the forthcoming friendly game against Scotland at a press conference next Friday lunchtime.

Glenn Roeder proudly and defiantly insists he is not a quitter.

Don Hutchison is set to make his return to international football when Scotland take on the Republic of Ireland next month.

West Ham 2 Newcastle 2

West Ham manager Glenn Roeder has praised Don Hutchison for making himself available for selection following the death of his father at the weekend.

West Ham manager Glenn Roeder is hoping for a triple injury boost as his team prepares for the New Year’s Day derby at Charlton.

Glenn Roeder tried to put West Ham’s plight into perspective today by saying: “There are people dying in this world, so I wouldn’t say that being bottom of the table would ruin my Christmas.”

West Ham today received their second injury boost inside 24 hours with the news Don Hutchison will be back from his cruciate knee ligament injury two months ahead of schedule.

Glenn Roeder will order Paolo di Canio (pictured) to use his 'Mama Mia' goal celebration rather than the aggressive 'I’m the man' routine if he scores against Birmingham at Upton Park tomorrow.

Sunderland new boy Matt Piper admits he is living a dream after completing his £3.5m move to the Stadium of Light.

Berti Vogts has been Scotland manager for almost half a year but when he gathers his latest squad together he will be meeting some new faces for the first time.

Glenn Roeder has warned that Premiership clubs will have to take a long look at their finances this summer following the problems of ITV Digital.

West Ham beat 10-man Middlesbrough 1-0 at Upton Park thanks to a Mark Schwarzer blunder.

Michael Owen clambered off the bench to rescue a point for Liverpool at Upton Park.

Benito Carbone became the latest target of the Premier League referees’ clampdown on diving on a day when fellow Italian Paolo di Canio answered West Ham manager Glenn Roeder’s call to arms.