“Manchester City are my tip to win the League but today it was us that showed great character and team spirit.”Goals: Shipperley (34) 1-0; Benarbia (54) 1-1; Shipperley (69) 2-1.Wimbledon (4-4-2): Davis; Cunningham, Holloway, Andersen, Hawkins; Cooper, Ardley, Francis, Hughes; Agyemang (McAnuff, 90), Shipperley. Substitutes not used: Kimble, Willmott, Morgan, Gore (gk).Manchester City (4-4-2): Weaver; Jensen, Pearce, Wiekens (Negouai, 82), Dunne; Horlock, Huckerby, Berkovic (Edghill, 77), Benarbia; Goater, Wright-Phillips. Substitutes not used: Dickov, Ritchie, Nash (gk).Referee: P Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent).Bookings: Wimbledon: Hughes Manchester City: Berkovic. Sent off: Manchester City: PearceMan of the match: Shipperley.Attendance: 10,664.. Real Madrid’s recent slump in form in the Spanish league continued with a 2-1 defeat at struggling Espanyol yesterday. Despite the boost of a Raul goal after 26 seconds, Real gave one of their worst displays of the season against an Espanyol side struggling near the foot of La Liga.

The Spanish champions have now taken just two points from their last three matches and the result means Celta Vigo, who beat Mallorca 1-0 on Saturday, stay top of La Liga on goal difference.In other games, Real Betis beat Valladolid 2-0, Malaga drew 1-1 with Las Palmas and Osasuna tied 0-0 with Zaragoza, while, on Saturday, four goals by Patrick Kluivert helped Barcelona to an overwhelming 6-0 victory at Tenerife.The Real Betis striker Gabi Amato was the hero of his side’s victory. The former Rangers man headed home a cross by Denilson in the 18th minute and then clinched the Seville-based side’s win with nine minutes remaining.In Italy yesterday, Roma missed the chance to extend their lead at the top of Serie A, but a brave fightback to draw 2-2 against struggling Fiorentina ensured they did not leave Tuscany empty-handed.Fiorentina scored twice in as many minutes early in the first half, through Dominic Morfeo and Adriano, and looked set for a much-needed victory. But Antonio Cassano pulled one back 10 minutes after half-time and Emerson’s strike had Roma level with 15 minutes to go.Juventus continued their fine form with a 3-0 win over Lecce, their goals coming from Antonio Conte, David Tr?guet, and an Alessandro Del Piero penalty.Chievo lost ground with a 2-2 draw against Piacenza, with Massimo Marazzini opening the scoring before Dario Hubner and Eusebio Di Francesco gave the home side the lead. Frederico Cossato earned Chievo, now in fourth place, a share of the points.Parma pulled out of the relegation zone after a 4-1 win over Brescia, with Marco Di Vaio scoring twice and Hakan Sukur and Johan Micoud adding the other two.. If Franck Sauzee is seriously hated within Easter Road, then the Hibernian players delivered an Oscar-winning performance for the fuss they made over their manager on Saturday night.

Gavin Rae’s 70th-minute strike had threatened to secure a third win in three seasons for the visitors.The Rangers defender Arthur Numan said: “We have to be realistic, it is difficult to catch Celtic in the league – but we are still in two cups and going another season without lifting a trophy does not bear thinking about.”Livingston’s bid to earn a Uefa Cup place continued with Marvin Andrews and Francisco Quino securing a 2-1 win at Motherwell, while Eugene Dadi kept Aberdeen in touch with a 1-0 win at St Johnstone.. Marcus Gronholm yesterday maintained Scandinavian dominance in the Rally of Sweden, beating his Peugeot team-mate Harri Rovanpera to this year’s title by one minute and 24 seconds. The Spaniard suffered a puncture on the 39km Hagfors final stage but still managed to edge home in third, just over eight seconds ahead of Burns in fourth.Gronholm, the 2000 Rally of Sweden champion, now leads the championship by two points from Tommi Makinen after two rounds. Subaru’s Makinen was forced out of the rally on the first day when his engine overheated after an excursion through heavy snow.A spin on the final stage shattered Colin McRae’s hopes, but he inherited a potentially valuable point when Kenneth Eriksson’s Skoda engine failed on the last stage. The Scot finished seventh but was promoted into the points after his team-mate, Janne Tuohino, deliberately took a time penalty to help his title-chasing colleague.. The Swinton chairman, Malcolm White, says he is going to resign, leaving the future of the club in doubt.

Swinton’s game at Gateshead was postponed yesterday, amid doubts about the future of that outpost as well. The scrum-half Chris Thorman scored one try and landed eight goals, while the winger Hefin O’Hare led the Giants’ 13-try spree with a hat-trick.Workington Town moved to second place with a 28-20 home victory over Oldham.The former New Zealand Test player Whetu Taewa scored a second-half hat-trick to keep Hull KR among the early season challengers with a 40-28 away win over Chorley Lynx.. Dewsbury might be unrecognisable from the side that won the Northern Ford Premiership two seasons ago, but they produced a performance of champions to end Rochdale’s unbeaten record. The way they responded showed that there is still great spirit at the club, despite losing so many players.Andy Speak, outstanding at hooker, sent Jim Leatham through for the first of his two tries and Jamie Elston, a 19-year-old scrum-half of great promise, threw a long pass to Adrian Flynn for another within two minutes. Flynn was closely marked but strength and footwork took him over.