Wolves manager Mick McCarthy wants to keep Kevin Doyle at Molineaux.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy insists striker Kevin Doyle “is going nowhere” before the current transfer window closes tonight.

Doyle has been linked with a move to Everton and the Republic of Ireland striker is currently out of the starting XI at Molineux.

But McCarthy concedes it would be “madness” to let his £6 million signing from Reading leave as his side prepare for tomorrow’s home Barclays Premier League clash with Liverpool.

McCarthy said: “Whether there is interest or there isn’t interest in Kevin, it doesn’t matter because he is going nowhere.

“I would really be crackers to sell Doyle with two days to go. I’m not crackers.”

Doyle played a major part in Wolves surviving their first campaign back in the top flight two years ago but he has struggled to reproduce his best form since a knee injury left him sidelined for the final six weeks of last season.

Steven Fletcher has replaced him as McCarthy’s first-choice striker.

Magilton: Victory need to learn how to win ugly.

Jim Magilton has said naivety by Melbourne Victory players was the cause of their capitulation to Sydney yesterday.

Former Melbourne Victory defender Sebastian Ryall scored a dramatic late equaliser against his old team as Sydney FC secured a 2-2 draw in the Australia Day clash at AAMI Park.

Victory looked set for the win when they scored two goals – one from Isaka Cernak and the other an own goal from Sydney goalkeeper Liam Reddy – in the space of two minutes just before half-time.

But Sydney, who had by far the better chances, finally responded on 56 minutes through Bruno Cazarine.

They then waited until the 90th minute to draw level, with Ryall netting his first A-League goal after a scramble in the box.

It was a point which was richly deserved by the visitors, who had looked in control before falling behind after lapses late in the first half.

The result left Victory four points adrift of the top six with nine matches to play, while Sydney stayed sixth having stretched their unbeaten streak to three matches.

Magilton, who believes he is closer to working out his preferred starting line-up after three games in charge, said his team deserved to hold on for three points against Sydney.

“We probably deserved to win the game. Credit to Sydney, they kept going, kept pushing, but it was a little bit of naivety on our part,” he said.

“Obviously it’s a confidence thing and it would be nice to win the game ugly. At the end it was a case of back to the walls again. It’s just a confidence thing. We need to break that.”

“Our incapacity to keep the ball at crucial times is driving me nuts so we just have to keep believing in what we’re doing, keep believing in how we go about our business day to day.”

Sitting seventh, four points adrift of Sydney, Magilton said a win can give his team the confidence and belief to make a run for a finals spot.

“I think it’s important that they win. If they won a game like that today, it lifts them. It gives them confidence,” Magilton said.

“Confidence for a footballer is massive. It makes them believe that they can dig in, dig in for each other, and win a game of football.”

– With agencies

Robbie Keane celebrates after scoring against his old club Wolves. (Pic: Nick Potts/PA).

Wolves 2
Aston Villa 3

Two-goal Robbie Keane marked his full Aston Villa debut with a superb second-half winner against 10-man Wolves in a pulsating Barclays Premier League derby at Molineux.

The on-loan Los Angeles Galaxy striker’s double helped Villa to come from behind against his old club after Darren Bent’s early penalty had been cancelled out by goals from Michael Kightly and Dave Edwards.

Wolves had been reduced to 10 men with 15 minutes remaining after midfielder Karl Henry kicked out at winger Marc Albrighton and received a red card.

Victory enabled Villa manager Alex McLeish to celebrate his 53rd birthday in style and his side have now taken 11 points from their last five away matches.

But Wolves remain embroiled in a relegation battle and are in the bottom three after their sequence without a league win was extended to eight games.

Villa started promisingly and should have gone ahead in the first minute.

Ciaran Clark delivered a telling cross from the left of the Wolves box and Gary Gardner found himself unmarked at the far post but headed wide.

Villa keeper Shay Given had to be alert to cling on to a low drive from Steve Fletcher after Wolves’ nine-goal top scorer had seized on a low cross from Edwards.

But after 10 minutes Bent scored his 99th Premier League goal from the penalty spot to put Villa ahead.

Wolves could have no complaints as the England striker was chopped down inside the box by Christophe Berra.

Up stepped Bent to send Hennessey the wrong way from the spot.

Villa were looking the more threatening and Roger Johnson blocked a fierce drive from Gardner at the expense of a corner.

But after 21 minutes the lively Kightly brought Wolves level.

Emmanuel Frimpong showed some neat skill before finding Kightly on the right and he cut inside before beating Given with a low drive into the far corner.

Wolves were now in the ascendancy and Albrighton was forced to head a shot from Henry off the line.

Matt Jarvis then teed up Edwards in plenty of space near the Villa penalty spot but he powered his low drive straight at Given.

It came as no surprise when Wolves went ahead after 31 minutes through Edwards with Villa again vulnerable at a set-piece.

Kightly’s corner was met by Johnson’s powerful header and Edwards got in front of Given to head the ball into the roof of the net.

McLeish made a half-time substitution with Gabriel Agbonlahor making way for Stephen Warnock who slotted in at left-back which allowed Clark to move into midfield.

After 52 minutes Keane brought Villa level.

Jarvis’ clearance fell straight to Clark who headed the ball down for Keane who swivelled and drilled a low shot past Hennessey into the corner of the net.

Wolves were forced into a change when Frimpong was accidentally caught in the face by Petrov when attacking a Kightly corner.

There was a lengthy delay before the on-loan Arsenal midfielder was stretchered off with his neck in a brace and replaced by Nenad Milijas.

Villa were galvanised by their equaliser and Hennessey had to save from his own defender when Stephen Ward connected with a Bent cross.

Albrighton made a 50-yard run and was only just too high with a 20 yard effort, while at the other end a Jarvis cross was just too high for Kightly who could not control his header.

Wolves were reduced to 10 men after 75 minutes when Henry kicked out at Albrighton when on the ground and was given a straight red card.

The former captain will miss the games with QPR, Liverpool and West Brom while serving a three-game ban.

Villa made their numerical advantage count when Keane scored a superb winner in the 84th minute.

Alan Hutton’s cross was only half cleared to Keane, whose fierce 20-yard drive flew past Hennessey into the top corner of the net.

Magilton began his Melbourne Victory tenure with a draw against Adelaide. (Pic: Melbourne Victory/Getty Images)

Jim Magilton got off to a tentative start as Melbourne Victory coach over the weekend with a 1-1 draw against Adelaide.

The 42-year-old former Northern Ireland captain was a surprise appointment for many in Australia’s football community, with one analyst questioning his managerial experience.

“The signing of Jim Magilton is an interesting choice, to say the least, not only because Victory fans expected a candidate with better credentials, as did the rest of us, but also because it represents a return to the direction of yesteryear,” wrote SBS football analyst Craig Foster in the Herald.

While the Northern Irishman will have to prove himself Down Under, for now he believes he saw enough positives his new side’s performance to give him confidence better things will follow having not gone into the match with huge expectations just days after taking charge.

“I think we were dominant [in the] first half [and] I think had we taken our chances we probably would have won the game comfortably,” Magilton told reporters after the game.

“But credit to them they came back at us [and] caused us a few problems [in the] second half.”

“Rome wasn’t built in a day and they’ve had four or five days with me.”

“We’ve had a very strong performance first half [and the] second half we can obviously do a little bit better but overall [I'm] really pleased with the application of the players, really pleased with our attitude [and] really pleased that we got something from the game.”

Robbie Keane is likely to make his debut in tomorrow's home clash with Everton. (Pic: Nick Potts/PA)

Robbie Keane has tipped his former club Tottenham as genuine title contenders after returning to the Barclays Premier League on loan to Aston Villa from LA Galaxy.

Keane has joined Villa until the end of February and, subject to international clearance, is in contention to make his debut in Saturday’s home clash with Everton.

But he had already arranged a spell training with Tottenham before making the temporary move to the midlands and has no doubt Harry Redknapp’s side can challenge the two Manchester clubs for the title.

He said: “Tottenham are genuine contenders. Definitely. If you look at their form over the last 10-12 games they are on a really good run and they haven’t lost many.

“They are playing some great stuff, and had another great result last night (against Everton).

“Harry (Redknapp) has built up a good squad there, a really strong squad.

“If you look at the squad there compared to United and City, they are certainly up there with the strength in depth they have.”

Keane is relishing being reunited with another former Spurs player in Darren Bent.

He said: “Darren is a top player and has proven that over the years. Even at Tottenham, when he did play he would always score goals.

“He has proven that at every club he has been at. It will be great to play with him again.

“But there are other good strikers at Villa like Gabby (Agbonlahor) and I look forward to playing with all of them.”

Keane admits his love for football persuaded him to temporarily link up with Villa and cut short his break before reporting back for pre-season training with the Galaxy.

It is a club he has been linked with many times during the past decade, since the collapse at the 11th hour of a move from Wolves to Villa in 1999 which resulted in him joining Coventry.

He said: “Initially I was going to take the break and could have been lying on a beach now.

“But I was back training with Tottenham next week. I was getting myself prepared for the MLS season anyway.

“I’ve had my rest of three to four weeks at the end of the season. I’m not a player who likes to sit around for eight weeks.

“I get itchy feet, and the move to Villa is good. It works out well for both of us.”

Keane is hoping he can make the same impact at Aston Villa as Thierry Henry on his return to Arsenal.

Henry marked his return to the Gunners by netting the winner against Leeds in the midweek FA Cup tie at the Emirates Stadium.

Keane said: “Can I do a Thierry Henry? I hope so. It would be great to do that.

“It was written that he was always going to come back and score on his return to Arsenal.

“Good luck to him, he is obviously a legend at Arsenal.

“If I can do something like that in the six (league) games, and help the team, that is great.”

Aston Villa want Keane on a two-month loan deal. (Pic: PA)

Robbie Keane trained with Aston Villa yesterday ahead of his expected loan move from Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 31-year-old Republic of Ireland striker was shown training with his future team-mates in a video on Villa’s official website as he waits to complete his return to the Barclays Premier League on a short-term deal.

Villa boss Alex McLeish revealed after the club’s FA Cup third-round victory over Bristol Rovers on Saturday he expected to soon wrap up the signing of the former Tottenham man, with only red tape holding up the deal.

Keane is expected to join on a two-month loan deal during the MLS off-season.

If the paperwork is completed in time Keane could make his debut against Everton on Saturday, where he will come up against his Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan, who is on loan at Goodison Park.

Former Northern Ireland midfielder Jim Magilton will coach Melbourne Victory until the end of the season. (Pic: Melbourne Victory)

Melbourne Victory have appointed Northern Irishman Jim Magilton as interim coach until the end of the current A-League season.

Magilton, 42, will take over from Mehmet Durakovic, who was relieved of his duties as head coach on Friday after seven months in charge.

The former Northern Ireland midfielder spent three seasons as Ipswich manager between 2006 and 2009, before seven months in charge of QPR between June and December 2009.

He most recently served as an assistant coach with Irish Premier League champions Shamrock Rovers and was closely linked with the Northern Ireland coaching job before the appointment of Michael O’Neill.

Magilton received a telephone call from the club on Thursday following Victory’s midweek loss to Central Coast Mariners before he flew into Melbourne on Saturday morning.

“It all happened pretty quickly,” Magilton admitted.

“I got a phone call, the opportunity arose and I snapped it up.

“I am sitting here because the season thus far has not been as productive as we would all have hoped, but that is not to say that the second half of the season can’t be great.”

Magilton missed out on the Victory job when Durakovic was appointed in the close-season, but the club was impressed with the way he handled himself during the interview process.

Magilton continued: “I am fearless, I am meticulous, I am astute, I am very much hands-on and I like to get amongst the players and be involved in the training aspect of the set-up. And I am a pretty amiable guy.

“But the immediate effect I can have on the team is confidence, morale in the dressing room and to lift the confidence and morale of the supporters.

“That is something that I am easily equipped to do as it is in my nature.”

Kevin Muscat will lead Victory in Saturday’s home match against Newcastle Jets at AAMI Park and then act as Magilton’s assistant for the remainder of the season.

Rovers fans look set to welcome a new manager. (File pic)

With the European dream over for Shamrock Rovers, the club is looking to Derry City manager Stephen Kenny to take the reins.

The managerial search follows Michael O’Neill’s departure last week.

O’Neill quite the club after the Hoop’s lost 4-0 to Spurs in their final game of this year’s Europa League competition.

The Irish Times reports that Kenny is close to coming on board with Rovers after an official approach was made this week.

Rovers will have to pay compensation to Derry  for Kenny’s services.

Kenny has been in management in Ireland for 13 years and had a spell with Scottish side Dunfermline over the 2006/07 season.

Giovanni Trapattoni is awarded for guiding the Republic to the European Championships.

Republic of Ireland football manager Giovanni Trapattoni has won the Philips Manager of the Year award after masterminding the national team’s progress to their first major championship finals in 10 years.

The Italian was in competition with Dublin football manager Pat Gilroy, who led the capital side to their first All-Ireland title in 16 years, Brian Cody, who lifted the Liam McCarthy trophy with Kilkenny, Leinster’s Heineken Cup-winning coach Joe Schmidt and Shamrock Rovers’ Michael O’Neill, who took his side into the Europa League.

But the award was given to the 72-year-old in recognition of his achievement of guiding the Republic to second place in Group B and the subsequent 5-1 aggregate win over Estonia in the play-offs.

Ireland’s performances on the road were particularly impressive in the qualifying campaign, with 13 of the 21 points earned in the group coming away from home.

The last time the award went to an international football manager was in 2001 when Mick McCarthy brought Ireland to the 2002 World Cup finals.

Prior to that, Jack Charlton won four manager of the year awards, including three in a row from 1987 to 1989, while Brien Kerr was recognised for his work at underage level with back to back awards in 1997 and 1998.

Ireland’s goalkeeping coach Alan Kelly collected the award on behalf of Trapattoni, who was not present at the ceremony at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin.

David Beckham and Robbie Keane in action for LA Galaxy against Melbourne Victory. (Pic: Darryl Kennedy/Irish Echo)

Robbie Keane netted a brace of penalties for LA Galaxy in their friendly tie against Melbourne Victory last night, as the Major League Soccer champions won the Hyundai Club Challenge with a penalty shoot-out victory at Etihad Stadium.

Victory took a 2-0 lead thanks to Carlos Hernandez on 15 minutes and Isaka Cernak 22 minutes later.

But two penalties either side of half-time, both of which were contentious, saw the Galaxy draw level with Robbie Keane flawless from the spot.

The match later went to penalties and although Landon Donovan missed for the Californians, Paulo Retre and Marco Rojas followed suit to deny the hosts.

David Beckham enjoyed what could be his final game in a Los Angeles Galaxy shirt.

Beckham, whose contract with the Galaxy expires later this month, played well as the game ended 2-2 after 90 minutes before the visitors edged it on spot-kicks.

The former England, Manchester United and Real Madrid star departed, having won the penalty which enabled the Galaxy to equalise early in the second half, a minute from time holding his right hamstring.

It was an end-to-end first half, with Archie Thompson having one shot saved and pushing another wide inside the first five minutes.

David Beckham was presented with a man of the match award after the game. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

Beckham got the crowd going with an ambitious lob from 50 yards which almost caught Ante Covic out as it sailed just wide.

But 15 minutes in it was the home side celebrating when Cernak set up Hernandez, whose first shot was blocked by a defender before he got clear to beat Josh Saunders for the opener.

Adam Cristman headed wide at the other end before Victory striker Danny Allsopp hit two efforts straight at Saunders.

The second goal came after 37 minutes with Hernandez playing provider to Cernak this time, hitting a perfectly weighted ball for the midfielder to run on to and finish well.

Galaxy had a Keane shot saved before Chris Birchall’s drive forced a Victory handball in the box and a penalty for the visitors. Keane slotted the spot kick to make it 2-1.

Victory should have restored the two-goal buffer before half-time with Adrian Leijer having a header cleared off the line by Birchall before Allsopp waltzed onto an excellent chance but hit it over.

Beckham inserted himself into the game in a decisive manner soon after the resumption and when he was upended by Petar Franjic, referee Strebre Delovski again pointed to the spot. Keane had no trouble beating substitute keeper Lawrence Thomas.

Keane fired two presentable chances over the bar before the hour mark, while Donovan and Paolo Cardozo were also off target.

There was also a fair share of profligacy at the other end with Jean Carlos Solorzano unable to shoot into an open goal and then failing in his bid for a penalty.

Allsopp went close late on while Galaxy’s Hector Jimenez hit the post.

The shoot-out looked like going Melbourne’s way, but a couple of mistakes from youngsters proved the difference.