They thought they were glad all over, and they are now.Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Kolinko; Austin, Fan Zhiyi, Ruddock, Rodger; Smith, Pollock, Mullins, Black (Thomson, 87); Forssell, Morrison (Carlisle, 89). Substitutes not used: Gray, Harrison, Gregg (gk).Sunderland (4-4-2): Sorensen; Williams, Varga, Thome, Gray; Kilbane, Rae, Schwarz (Oster, 81), Arca (McCann, 57); Dichio, Phillips. Substitutes not used: Craddock, Thirlwell, Marriott (gk).Referee: A Wiley (Burntwood).. The West Ham striker Paolo Di Canio has been praised by the Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, for his act of fair play during the Premiership match against Everton on Saturday. Di Canio refused to take a goal-scoring opportunity in the final minutes because the Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard was on the ground injured The match ended 1-1. The West Ham striker Paolo Di Canio has been praised by the Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, for his act of fair play during the Premiership match against Everton on Saturday.

Di Canio refused to take a goal-scoring opportunity in the final minutes because the Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard was on the ground injured. The match ended 1-1.
Blatter has written to congratulate the Italian striker saying: “Gestures like this are all too rare in football, especially at the professional level.”Your spontaneous action in the game against Everton thus deserves our special recognition and respect. I would like to congratulate and thank you on behalf of Fifa and all fair-minded football fans for this splendid gesture made in the true spirit of fair play, and encourage you to continue to set such positive examples for others to follow.”Di Canio has been hailed for his act of sportsmanship by virtually everyone except his fellow West Ham striker Frédéric Kanouté.Kanouté is in no doubt his Italian team-mate made the wrong decision. He said on his personal website: “We had plenty of opportunities to score but we either missed the target or were too interested in fair play.”When Paolo caught the ball instead of trying to score I must confess I was very disappointed All the team was a bit shocked. He should have carried on playing as the goalkeeper had injured himself – nobody had fouled him – and the goal wasn’t wide open because two defenders were guarding it.”Had I been in the same situation I can assure you I’d have tried to score.”Aston Villa yesterday finally abandoned hopes of signing manager John Gregory’s No 1 target – Benni McCarthy from Celta Vigo – but they are expected to step up their efforts to sign the Colombian international Juan Pablo Angel.Gregory watched the River Plate striker in action 10 days ago and representatives of the Argentinian club are expected at Villa Park this week to try and advance the deal for the striker rated at £10m.McCarthy has been tracked by Villa since he scored three times against them in the Intertoto Cup in August but agreeing a fee has always been a problem. “The deal is dead as far as we are concerned, ” said Villa’s financial director Mark Ansell “Celta’s demands were becoming more and more unreasonable. In the end they were making demands which were unacceptable to the player himself.”Gregory views Angel as a more than adequate alternative and he has scored 17 goals in 17 games for his club this season.Didier Domi’s future at St James’ Park appears to be in doubt again after the defender failed to return from France for training ahead of Saturday’s Premiership trip to Derby.

The 22-year-old Frenchman was absent yesterday after being allowed to return home for the weekend.”Didier Domi did not appear for training yesterday,” the Newcastle manager, Bobby Robson, confirmed. “We have been in touch with him back in France and he will be returning later this week. Then we will have to sit down and discuss the situation with him.”. An Englishman abroad is a rarity in top-level international football. The failure of players like Ian Rush, Mark Hughes and Paul Gascoigne to reproduce their best form overseas, combined with high domestic wages, have made them appear over-priced in the eyes of most foreign clubs. Steve McManaman’s leading role in the European Cup final proved English players can succeed abroad but he has appeared a lone missionary. Yet there is one other English born-and-bred player plying his trade in the major European leagues.

Moreover, as far as his club is concerned, he has been as big a success as McManaman. An Englishman abroad is a rarity in top-level international football. The failure of players like Ian Rush, Mark Hughes and Paul Gascoigne to reproduce their best form overseas, combined with high domestic wages, have made them appear over-priced in the eyes of most foreign clubs. Steve McManaman’s leading role in the European Cup final proved English players can succeed abroad but he has appeared a lone missionary. Yet there is one other English born-and-bred player plying his trade in the major European leagues.