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BURNLEY, England - Raheem Sterlings second-half strike gave Liverpool its first league victory in four matches, beating Burnley 1-0 Friday despite turning in a poor performance at Turf Moor.Last year Liverpool was top of the Premier League on Christmas Day having scored twice as many goals as this season after 17 matches. Liverpool began this match in its lowest position on this day since 1992-93, when it was also 10th.But having failed to create anything resembling a genuine chance against Burnley, Liverpool took the lead out of nowhere just past the hour. Philippe Coutinhos lob sent Sterling clear and around goalkeeper Tom Heaton, rolling a shot past Burnleys despairing defenders trying to get back.Earlier, Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Jones was injured, handing the recently-dropped Simon Mignolet a route back into the team. The Belgian was routinely teased and taunted by the home crowd and not all of that was unjustified in an erratic 75-minute performance.Danny Ings fired over early on for Burnley after Lucas Leiva had dived into a challenge on Dean Marney and was easily side-stepped.Ings was a threat and when Martin Skrtel came out to attack a Burnley throw and missed, the striker rammed a shot against the post with Ashley Barnes ballooning over the rebound.That signalled the end for Jones as he was immediately substituted and it was as if Burnley sensed blood with the arrival of his out-of-form replacement as early as the 16th minute. Mignolets every touch was jeered and the ridicule only worsened when he drilled a clearance straight into Ings and scrambled to recover.Burnley swarmed forward with renewed encouragement — Barnes headed over, Scott Arfields goalbound shot was prevented from creeping inside the post by the tips of Lucas toes and both George Boyd and Marney threatened before the break.Mignolets only minor victory saw him come off his line sharply to beat Barnes to the ball.Sterlings goal in the 62nd provided no sense of calmness or composure for Liverpool, mainly thanks to the unconvincing Mignolet who managed to save Arfields angled shot with his legs, having dived the wrong way anticipating a cross, and then allowed a Mamadou Sakho back pass to roll out of play before he cleared it.Liverpool moves up a place to ninth with 25 points from 18 games while Burnley remains in the relegation zone with 15 from 18. Custom Washington Nationals Jerseys . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Adam Eaton Jersey . Costa injured his right thigh muscle against Barcelona last Saturday and had sought treatment in Belgrade from a doctor specializing in using fluid derived from horse placenta to repair damaged cells. http://www.officialnationalsgearshop.com/Nationals-Sean-Doolittle-Kids-Jersey/ . Ribery terrorized the Schalke defence throughout and put the home side ahead in the 36th minute when he chipped the goalkeeper before stroking the ball into the empty net. The French winger struck again after the interval, combining with Thomas Mueller on the left before firing a deflected shot beyond the helpless Timo Hildebrand in the 55th, as Bayern bounced back from Wednesdays 1-0 loss at FC Basel in the Champions League. Bryce Harper Jersey . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. Gio Gonzalez Jersey . The NFL says Wednesday that the game between the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions at Wembley on Oct. 26 will start at 1:30 p.VANCOUVER - Radim Vrbata has two goals for the Vancouver Canucks final pre-season game: do well and stay healthy.You want both. I think you want to play as close as you to can to how youre going to play the first game of the season, said the veteran winger. You want to be close to the top of your play as a team and as individuals.Everybodys gearing up to that first game.The Canucks wrap up their exhibition schedule Saturday night at home against the Edmonton Oilers before the regular season gets underway Wednesday in Calgary against the Flames.Players and coaches probably look at (the pre-season finale) a little different, Vancouver head coach Willie Desjardins said after Fridays practice at Rogers Arena. I want to see it as This is how were going to play. The players probably see it as I want to get out of this healthy.I want to push us and I want us to have a good game.Saturday will mark a final tuneup for some players, while for others it will be a last chance to make an impression with Vancouvers decision makers.Im looking to ramp it right up, said Canucks forward Zack Kassian, who has missed time with a lower-body injury. Its one more until the real deal starts, so theres no sitting back. Theres no feeling it out.Linden Vey has bounced between centre and the wing during pre-season a€” as well as playing on the first power-play unit a€” and looks to have cemented a job with the Canucks after being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings.Its the last one so you want to make sure to bring your best effort. This is what everybodys been gearing up for all summer, said Vey. Were looking forward to it. This is the time of year you want to be playing. This is the last chance to get everything ready to go for the start of the year.Canucks goalie Miller, who like Vrbata signed with the team in the off-season, said hes still getting comfortable in the crease and is learning the tendencies of his teammates a€” especially the defencemen.I think were moving in the right direction and I just want to keep doing my part, said Miller. Theres always more to do. Its never finished, so its always going to be a process but its feeling good a€” just getting things underway here has been exciting.Trying to have good intensity, good focus, get things movingg and get your mind right for the regular season.ddddddddddddn the other side is Nicklas Jensen, who is still with the big club but remains in a tenuous position. He and fellow forward Bo Horvat a€” who suffered a shoulder contusion on Thursday in Edmonton that isnt considered serious a€” are battling for a spot up front.And with Horvat on the shelf for a few days, Jensen has one more chance to impress.Im happy with how Ive played, said the 21-year-old Dane. Theres some stuff I know I could have done a little bit better and I wanted to change, but theres also some stuff Im very happy about. The fact that Ive been consistent over all the games has been good.Desjardins said he has been impressed with how all the youngsters have competed.(Jensen) has been pretty good all year. He skates well, hes opened up ice well, said the rookie coach. He hasnt looked out of place, but I think you could say the same with Bo Horvat. He hasnt looked out of place either.Our lineup should be hard to crack. It should be tough for guys to get in. The good thing is these guys are pushing hard and theyre making the choices harder.One of those choices was to send Hunter Shinkaruk down to the AHLs Utica Comets on Friday. A former first-round pick like both Jensen and Horvat, the Canucks felt the 19-year-old forward needed more time to develop.Hes got to get a more all-around game, said Desjardins. I thought he was good offensively. I thought there were times that he showed real well and thats what we want out of him. We want him to be a guy that loves to score, a guy thats quick on the attack, and I think he showed those things. But he needs more experience at the pro level.To get his game to the best it can be he needs a little more time.Like a lot of young players, Desjardins said the defensive side of the game is something Shinkaruk needs to work on, and that the demotion should be a positive for his development in the long run.What you want as a young player is when you get (to the NHL) you want to be able to stay, said Desjardins. You dont want to come up and then lose your confidence and then get sent down because that could really hurt your career. I think hell get more confidence the next time hes up by playing down in the American Hockey League. ' ' '