While the last 10 years haven’t exactly been a cake walk for Liverpool fans, the club is at a particular low ebb at the moment.

Preston striker Neil Mellor has been forced to retire from professional football due to injury.

Emile Sinclair scored twice as League Two minnows Macclesfield topped the bill on a night of Carling Cup upsets with a 2-0 win over npower Championship Hull at the KC Stadium tonight.

Birmingham 3 Sheffield Wednesday 0

Preston 1 Doncaster 1

Scunthorpe 3 Preston 1

Preston boss Alan Irvine has admitted he is powerless to prevent highly-rated defender Sean St Ledger joining Coca-Cola Championship rivals Middlesbrough.

Preston 2 Swansea 0

Sheffield United 1 Preston 0 (Sheff Utd win 2-1 on aggregate)

Preston 1 Sheffield United 1

Preston 2 QPR 1

Wolves will be playing Premier League football next season after their promotion from the Coca-Cola Championship was confirmed with a 1-0 win over QPR at Molineux.

Preston 0 Liverpool 2

CHRIS IWELUMO made it 15 goals for the season as Wolves kept their six-point lead intact at the top of the Coca-Cola Championship.

MICK McCARTHY admitted his side’s clean sheet was as pleasing as the three points after Saturday’s 2-0 win over Burnley at Molineux.

REPUBLIC of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle scored a hat-trick for the second successive Championship home game as rampant Reading raced to 6-0 victory against lacklustre Sheffield Wednesday at the Madejski Stadium last night.

Wolves continued their blistering start to the Coca-Cola Championship season with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Molineux that kept them top of the table.

Wolves went to the top of the Coca-Cola Championship after a 5-1 demolition of Nottingham Forest.

EVEN at the age of 37 some believe David James still has plenty to learn, but he produced an outstanding performance, including a penalty save, to propel Portsmouth into the quarter-finals yesterday.

Preston 0 Portsmouth 1

Darius Henderson scored the only goal of the game to help Watford remain at the top of the Coca-Cola Championship with a 1-0 victory over Leicester at Vicarage Road.

HOW appropriate that a member of the consortium set to buy Derby County is reported to be a member of the Walt Disney clan. With Mickey Mouse displays such as this, the new board will surely feel right at home.

Derby 1 Preston 4

Non-league Havant and Waterlooville gave Liverpool a scare – but a hat-trick from Yossi Benayoun ended their FA Cup dreams as the home side ran out 5-2 winners at Anfield.

Preston 3 Southampton 1

Cardiff 4 Preston 1

LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez has called on the club's board to free up the money which will allow him to strengthen the squad and increase competition as they make the push to reach the Premiership top four.

Liverpool striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle has joined Spanish club Recreativo Huelva on a season-long loan.

Manchester United legend Paddy Crerand has branded the three-match bans for Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes as "a disgrace".

Wigan have sent on-loan striker Neil Mellor back to Liverpool in an effort to find a solution to his troublesome knee problem.

Henri Camara returns to the Wigan squad for the first time since January 2 after finally returning from African Nations Cup duty.

Henri Camara has received a rap on the knuckles from Wigan boss Paul Jewell after going AWOL last weekend.

Striker Robbie Fowler was handed his first start for Liverpool since returning to the club on a short-term contract last month.

Wigan manager Paul Jewell faces a striker crisis ahead of his side’s Barclays Premiership clash with Liverpool at the JJB Stadium tomorrow.

Bolton 1 Wigan 1

Wigan manager Paul Jewell faces a striker crisis for tomorrow’s Barclays Premiership clash at Bolton.

Wigan manager Paul Jewell will attempt to freshen up his squad ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at Manchester City.

Middlesbrough 2 Wigan 3

Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing finally made his long-awaited return from a five-month lay-off after undergoing knee surgery for today’s Barclays Premiership clash with Wigan at The Riverside.

New Wigan signings David Thompson and Neil Mellor go straight into the squad for tomorrow’s Premiership clash at Middlesbrough.

Wigan have signed David Thompson for the rest of the season, with a view to a permanent move.

LIVERPOOL have given permission for striker Neil Mellor to speak to Hearts about a move north of the border.

Liverpool have given permission for striker Neil Mellor to speak to Hearts about a move north of the border, according to the player’s agent Mick McGuire.