Described by the agent Eric Hall never one to understate a client's worth

Described by the agent Eric Hall, never one to understate a client's worth, as "the most promising player in the country", Forster appeared to be heading for Crystal Palace last summer until the Selhurst Park club pulled out of a reported pounds 2m deal. Substitute not used: Miller (gk).Referee: G Ashby (Worcester).Bookings: Notts County: Murphy. Middlesbrough: Liddle, Robson.Man of the match: Barmby.Attendance: 12,621.. As comebacks go, it would take a lot to better the one enjoyed by the Brentford duo, Marcus Bent and Nick Forster, as the Bees pulled off the shock of Saturday's third round by adding to Norwich's troubles at Carrow Road. Match-winner Bent, 17-year-old scorer of the struggling Second Division side's 60th-minute second goal, had not played since a Christmas Day mishap with a mirror left him needing 24 stitches in a wound to his neck. Meanwhile, the England Under-21 international Forster, whose first-time cross laid on Bent's glory moment, was making his first appearance since he damaged ligaments in his right knee in the first-round tie against Farnborough in November.The prospect of a Cup run, however, is one that Forster will view with a certain wariness after suffering an overdose of exposure in the last 12 months. The Brazilian worried County throughout, recovering from an early, painful encounter with Endsleigh League tackling technique to make a series of jinking dribbles, each of which invariably ran aground amid of clutch of panic-stricken defenders.He has a delicate touch and is a gutsy fellow But what he does not do is take hold of a game.

Perhaps one day he will but now he seems to need others to bring out the best in him, to which end Middlesbrough could do with more Robsons and more Barmbys.Given their relative recent form - County beaten once in 11 games, Middlesbrough losing more than they win - this could have ended in tears but the Second Division side, unable to unsettle their opponents more than fleetingly, were tame underdogs.A debut goal by Paul Rogers, fresh in from Sheffield United, shattered Middlesbrough's dreams of strolling into the fourth-round draw, but neither before nor afterwards did another look likely.Goals: Pollock (46) 0-1; Barmby (48) 0-2; Rogers (52) 1-2.Notts County (3-5-2): Ward; Murphy, Strodder, Hogg; Gallagher, Rogers, Turner (Simpson, 67), Legg (White, 76), Baraclough (Agana, 83); Devlin, Arkins.Middlesbrough (3-4-3): Walsh; Vickers, Pearson, Whelan; Liddle, Pollock, Robson, Fleming (Stamp 31); Barmby (Moreno 89), Wilkinson, Juninho. Those who came to see Juninho sparkle instead saw the veteran player-manager and his English jewel shine brightest through the Meadow Lane mist.If Robson was the driving force then Barmby, missing for five matches with an injured Achilles tendon, was the cutting edge that Middlesbrough have lacked without Jan Fjortoft, Craig Hignett and him. In the space of two minutes, at the start of the second half, the England forward created one goal and scored another, delivering the cross from which Jamie Pollock put Robson's side in front and then doubling the lead with a well-placed angled shot.Juninho could claim a part in Pollock's strike, it being his precise, instant through pass that launched Barmby's run. JON CULLEY Notts County 1 Middlesbrough 2 With Nick Barmby back and Bryan Robson taking midfield by the scruff of the neck, Middlesbrough looked more like themselves. Barcelona had defender Albert Ferrer sent off as they lost 1-0 at Celta Vigo and slipped from second to fourth.. The win left Milan on 33 points, three ahead of Fiorentina, who fell 2-0 behind at Roma when Abel Balbo struck in the fifth and 50th minutes. Fiorentina rose to the challenge, though, with Anselmo Robbiati pulling one back in the 61st and then Gabriel Batistuta hitting the equaliser in the 70th minute.Parma stayed third on 28 points after being held to a 2-2 draw at Torino, while Lazio's challenge faltered - they went down 1-0 to Napoli after Alen Boksic was sent off for a foul in the 40th minute.Juan Carlos Gomez celebrated his debut for Atletico Madrid with a goal in the Spanish league leaders' 3-1 home win over Tenerife on Saturday.

Similarly, Aberdeen's Pittodrie stadium is likely to play host to Rangers' third-round tie.Three Premier Division sides will fall at the first hurdle in the Cup, with the top tie being the game at Fir Park between Motherwell and Aberdeen. The other all-Premier ties are Hibernian v Kilmarnock and Heart of Midlothian v Partick Thistle.TENNENT'S SCOTTISH CUP Third-round draw: Deveronvale or Keith v Rangers; Berwick Rangers or Annan Athletic v Dundee United; Ross County v Forfar Athletic; Falkirk v Stenhousemuir; Clydebank v Stirling Albion; Whitehill Welfare or Fraserburgh v Celtic; Caledonian Thistle v Spartans or East Fife; Hibernian v Kilmarnock; Hearts v Partick Thistle; Clyde or Brechin v Dundee; Motherwell v Aberdeen; Dumbarton v Airdrie; Hamilton Academicals v St Johnstone; Raith Rovers v Queen's Park; Dunfermline v St Mirren; Morton v Montrose (Ties to be played weekend of Saturday 27 January).. Overseas football Milan, who have started the year in dynamic form, brushed aside Sampdoria 3-0 to go three points clear in Italy's Serie A yesterday as their main rivals, Fiorentina, drew at Roma. First-half goals by Christian Panucci and Dejan Savicevic and a brilliant 56th-minute strike by Roberto Baggio handed Milan their first home win in three matches at a wet San Siro.Sampdoria played the final five minutes with 10 men after Roberto Mancini was carried off on a stretcher following a heavy collision with Milan's George Weah. The only blow for Celtic's manager, Tommy Burns, was a jaw injury to his young right-back Jackie McNamara, which could keep the Scotland Under-21 player out of action for up to a month.Celtic, like Rangers, have drawn non-league opposition away from home: either Whitehill Welfare or Fraserburgh - but it is unlikely that Fraserburgh, from the Highland League, or Whitehill, an Edinburgh-based side from the East of Scotland League, would be able to entertain the holders at their own ground. Victory extended their unbeaten Premier Division run to 15 games and now they face four away games in a row, starting with a rearranged fixture at Raith Rovers tomorrow before Sunday's match at Aberdeen.

Having already agreed in principle to sign, the problem of a work permit will be avoided if the player can secure a Portuguese passport.Celtic kept Rangers in sight (eight points behind with two games in hand) with a 1-0 win over Motherwell. Scottish football DAVID McKINNEY As they contemplate a Tennent's Scottish Cup third-round tie against either Deveronvale or Keith, both from the Highland League, Rangers fans have been left bemused this weekend by more than the prospect of unknown opposition.Reports suggest that Manchester United are preparing to make an offer for their gifted Dane, Brian Laudrup, who could depart for Old Trafford in the summer - while at the same time the Brazilian striker, Jardel, is due in Scotland this week to hold talks with Rangers and to see Ibrox for himself. Wolves: Thompson.Man of the match: Emblen.Attendance: 21,349.. Substitute not used: Cooper.Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-4-1-2): Stowell; Richards, Young, Emblen (Rankine, h-t; Foley, 64); Thompson, Osborn, Atkins, Pearce (Ferguson, 62); Williams; S Bull, Goodman.Referee: R Hart (Darlington).Bookings: Birmingham: Daish, Poole, Donowa. Judging by Saturday, when Steve Bull's brilliant opportunist header was just reward for their early composure, the new regime is starting to have a positive impact on style and morale.McGhee regarded the injury which robbed Wolves of their defensive linchpin, Neil Emblen, as "the turning point". Birmingham's subsequent pressure produced a driven equaliser by Gary Poole, but that merely meant another free midweek lost for Britain's busiest team and could not restore Fry's customary ebullience.Goals: S Bull (24) 0-1; Poole (72) 1-1.Birmingham City (4-4-2): Bennett; Poole, Edwards, Daish, Frain; Donowa, Forsyth, Richardson, Hunt (G Bull, 70); Francis (Bowen, 70), Claridge. I understand what they're saying, but I haven't read the Bosman case that way."Six centres of excellence, where boys aged nine to 15 work with up to 60 coaches, are to close.