Snippets: Australian Praise for Nick Ward....Some Club May be Signing Christian Lucarelli...Hislop Update...Ipswich Comeback

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UPDATE

Herald Sun - Nick Ward vows to return to Europe
MELBOURNE Victory recruit Nick Ward has not landed in Australia, but is already plotting a return to Europe after English Championship struggler Queens Park Rangers released him.
The Olyroos midfielder was scrambling to find flights from London yesterday and isn't expected to make his Victory debut until next Sunday night's clash against Newcastle Jets at Telstra Dome.
He will play the rest of the season with Ernie Merrick's misfiring side and is available for Victory's Asian Champions League campaign after that.
But he views his return home as little more than a stopover before returning to Europe.
"I haven't given up on making it in Europe, quite the opposite," Ward said. "The truth is I need to be playing games and that just wasn't happening at Queens Park Rangers.
"Joining Melbourne gives me the chance to get my match fitness up to where it should be and to get back a bit of lost confidence.
"I hope I can help them reach the finals, but it looks a bit of a struggle at the moment."
Ward was a pivotal part of the Olyroos side that qualified for next year's Beijing Games.
The 22-year-old former Perth Glory star came off the bench in the Olyroos' final two Olympic qualifiers, against Iraq and North Korea, after first flying to Germany for surgery on a hernia problem by the same specialist that treated England and Newcastle star Michael Owen.
He leaves England with a cold feeling inside and it is not just the weather.
He was either played out of position, or not at all by coach John Gregory, who was later sacked after a dismal start to the 2007-08 season.
Even when Gregory left, Ward's opportunities were non-existent under caretaker coach Mick Harford and then Italian Luigi Di Canio.
"It's been a frustrating period for me, but the dream is still alive," Ward said.
"I know that I need to come back home for the time being. I've spoken to Graham Arnold (the Olyroos coach) and that's his advice. "I also want to show the Melbourne people what I can do. They are a brilliantly supported club and they deserve even more success."
Ward will not miss life at QPR, but he will miss his mate Mark Bosnich, the former Socceroos keeper who has been training with the club for five months.
Bosnich, 35, is desperate to revive his career after retiring from the game following his sacking by Chelsea in 2002 for testing positive to cocaine.
Ward thinks Bosnich still has what it takes.
"I was doing shooting practice with him the other day, and he's almost impossible to beat," he said. "He covers all the angles and you need to find the corners to have any chance of getting the ball past him.
"He's got so much experience and class about him ... he has a point to prove to a few people (in England)."
So, too, does Ward. But not before he does the business for Melbourne. Herald Sun

Western Austarlian - Dumped Ward changes tune to join the Victory
Former Perth Glory midfielder Nick Ward has done a stunning backflip by signing for Melbourne Victory less than a week after vowing to stick it out in Europe.
The Olyroos midfielder, who has struggled with injuries this season and has played just twice for Queens Park Rangers, said last week he would not return to the A-League, despite things turning sour at his English Championship club.
“I’ve had a few offers from A-League clubs but I don’t want to go back,” Ward had said. “I need to stick it out and do it tough a bit longer.”
But his contract with QPR was terminated this week and he has opted to sign for the A-League champions, who are battling to make the finals.
Ward has signed with the Victory until next June, which will enable him to play the rest of the A-League season and in the Asian Champions League campaign, starting in March.
Football operations manager Gary Cole said Ward was a welcome addition as the club looked to hoist itself back into finals contention after a dismal season to date.
“He was the best under-20 player in the first Hyundai A-League season and is an exciting prospect for the club,” Cole said. “He’s an energetic midfielder who can run from penalty area to penalty area and also scores.”
Ward’s favoured role is the Victory’s problem position, link man between the midfield and the strikers.
Melbourne have struggled to provide consistent service and backup for strikers Archie Thompson and Danny Allsopp from deep, with the club scoring 14 goals in 15 games. West Australian

Goal.com - Torinio Move In On Lucarelli
Shakhtar Donetsk’s elimination from Europe spells an almost certain end to Cristiano Lucarelli’s Ukrainian adventure, and Torino appear the most eager to take advantage.
The former Livorno idol has never quite settled at Shakhtar since his high-profile move in the summer and it has long been assumed that the would not hold it out beyond a season. Their 2-1 defeat at home to Benfica on Tuesday night effectively means that Shakhtar do not even have the Uefa Cup to look forward to and that Lucarelli’s ticket out has come earlier than expected.
“It’s still too soon after the game to weigh up things,” insisted agent Carlo Pallavicino.
“We still need to talk to the directors in Ukraine to work out their intentions and their conditions.
“They have an ample squad and the League season stops until March so if any Italian clubs are interested in Cristiano we will discuss that later.”
Torino’s fast action in approaching the Donetsk side has put them in pole position, though Napoli, AC Milan and even English first division side Queens Park Rangers are rumoured to be contemplating making an offer. Goal.com


Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times - Hislop in hot water at new club
FORMER QPR defender Matt Hislop may soon be on the move again after going AWOL at Ryman League club Harrow Borough last week.
Hislop, who has only played three games for Borough, failed to turn up for training twice and was left out of their game against Hastings United at the weekend.
Harrow boss Dave Howell has promised not to close the door on Hislop if he offers a satisfactory explanation for his absence, but believes the 20-year-old full-back may be struggling to deal with the transition to non-league football.
Howell said: "Matt had a rough time with injuries and I'm a QPR fan, so I was aware of him as a player. I wanted to help him get his fitness back and put himself in the shop window.
"He's been involved with some of the goals we've given away and I think that's been frustrating for him.
"It's a matter of being patient when you're playing below a level you know you should be playing at.
"I've been down this road with other players before. They've seen the shiny side of the coin and, with the pedigree they've got, it's maybe hard to come to terms with this.
"I've got no problem if he's feeling a bit sick or a wheel's come off his car, but I need players to let me know things like that. If they then make the same mistake again, that's different."
Hislop joined QPR from Arsenal along with Dominic Shimmin in March 2005, but made just one appearance for the first team, in a 2-1 victory at Leicester the following season.
Rangers released him when his contract expired last summer and he featured for Hayes & Yeading United in the Conference South earlier this season before moving to Harrow. Kilburn Times


A Sad FA Youth Cup Match Report:
QPR Official Site QPR 3 IPSWICH 5
Four goals in a nine minute purple patch at the end of the game clinched victory for Ipswich Town in the FA Youth Cup third round.
A Romone Rose brace and a set-piece stunner from Chris Arthur proved scant consolation for the R's, who bowed out at the third round stage for the third season in a row.
Tractor Boys skipper Jordan Rhodes was the hero of the hour for the hosts, notching a hat-trick, as Town ran riot late on.
Over 500 fans flocked to W12 for the clash with Ipswich Town and the R's faithful amongst them were treated to an all-action display from Steve Brown's youngsters.
However, on another fresh night in West London, it was the visitors who should have been ahead in the opening 49 seconds.
Jack Ainsley evaded the R's offside trap with ease, but his finish lacked composure, as he screwed his left footed effort horribly wide.
After shaking off some noticeable, and equally understandable early nerves, the Rangers midfield trio of Matt O'Brien, Chris Arthur and Danny Davenport slowly began to assert their dominance in the middle of the park as the half evolved.
One particularly strong challenge from Davenport gifted Josh Parker the time and space to fire in a front post cross, but the Tractor Boys easily cleared their lines.
Just 24 hours after making his first team debut in the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, the lively Angelo Balanta hooked an ambitious 15-yard volley wide of Andrew Plummer's right hand post.
The visitors failed to heed the warning though and from their very next attack, Rangers were ahead courtesy of a stunning Arthur free-kick.
Balanta's pace and perseverance led to the award of the free-kick and Arthur made no mistake, curling an unstoppable direct effort, from fully 25-yards, into the top right hand corner.
Balanta should have made it two on the half hour, but he proved profligate when gifted the freedom of the 18-yard box.
Undeterred, it was another R's front-man, Rose, who doubled the hosts' advantage 12 minutes before the break.
Receiving the ball with his back to goal, the R's number ten turned on a sixpence, before firing a ferocious drive past Plummer at the goalkeeper's near post.
Ipswich were by no means overawed by the R's second goal though, halving the two-goal buffer almost immediately.
It wasn't without controversy though, as Rhodes' header bounced back off the underside of the bar and in, despite Chris Goodchild's claims that the ball hadn't crossed the line.
Balanta went close to restoring Rangers' two-goal advantage on the stroke of half-time, only to see his left foot curler fly inches wide of the post.
A fine save from Goodchild preserved the R's lead on the resumption, as Ipswich - and substitute Paul Murphy in particular - came out of the traps at a startling rate.
Reginald Thomson-Lambe also stung the palms of the Rangers custodian, before Josh Parker was denied at the other end by a last-ditch Paul Watson tackle.
Rangers grew in stature as the half approached its midway stage, with Rose firing inches wide and Parker shooting tamely at Plummer from 15-yards.
The R's all but clinched their place in round four 15 minutes from time, when Rose peeled away from his marker and unleashed a first time drive into the far corner, giving Plummer absolutely no chance.
Ipswich pulled a goal back six minutes later though, as Upson smashed the ball into an empty net after Goodchild's attempted clearance landed at the feet of the Town attacker.
The outstanding Reason headed home from close-range to make it 3-3 after the R's failed to deal with a right sided cross four minutes from time, before the comeback was complete when Rhodes bagged his second of the tie in the 89th minute.
Rhodes rubbed salt into the R's wounds with a fifth in added time, to compound Rangers woes.
QPR: Goodchild, Coyne, Brown, O'Brien, Ford (Harris 90), Lawrence, Balanta, Davenport, Parker (Morgan-Cummings 77), Rose, Arthur (Sylvan-Vanterpool 90).
Subs: O'Brien, Smith.
Ipswich Town: Plummer, Clemo, Robinson, Daniels (Murphy 46), Watson, Nyam (Clark 77), Upson, Reason, Ainsley, Rhodes, Thomson-Lambe.
Subs: Murphy, Ward, Calver, Eastman. QPR

IPSWICH OFFICIAL SITE QPR 3 TOWN 5
Jordan Rhodes led an amazing comeback with a hat-trick as Blues booked a place in the next round of the FA Youth Cup.
Town were 2-1 down at the break against a powerful Rangers side, with Rhodes on target just past the half hour mark.
QPR extended their lead and looked to be heading for the Second Round as the game entered the latter stages.
On 78 minutes Ed Upson reduced the arrears though and Jai Reason made it 3-3 with five minutes left after thumping home a glorious header.
Rhodes then amazingly put Blues in front within a minute and completed the comeback with a terrific finish from the edge of the box in added on time after Town caught the home side on the break. Ipswich

Kent Time
New Sittingbourne manager Gary Abbott has signed two new players ahead of this weekend’s fixture at home to Horsham YMCA.
Abbott has signed ex-QPR, Eastbourne and Leyton striker Richard Bradley who will also be the club’s assistant manager.
The Brickies boss told Yourswale that 24-year-old Bradley should add something to his squad, as well as providing valuable experience to the forward line.
He said: “Richard is an excellent finisher, but because he has not played for a little while he need to get some match fitness. He will be on the bench for us on Saturday and he will be assisting me up until the New Year at least.” Report