With a shot at grabbing his first Nationwide Series win Saturday, he wasn’t going to make that same mistake again.

Especially not against Kyle Busch.

Larson stalked Busch over the closing laps around Bristol Motor Speedway waiting to make a move. It came as they closed in on the finish line, and Larson made a last-gasp push on the high side that fell just short as Busch held on for his second win of the season.

But in chasing the win the right way, the 20-year-old Larson cleaned up some of the criticism that had followed him from Daytona last month after spinning C.E. Falk III on the final lap of the “Battle at the Beach” late model race.

“You certainly want to try to win races the right way,” Busch said. “He played it smart today. That was good on his end. I think a lot of people have been looking at him to try to see if he’s going to be to a wrecker or a checker. Today he didn’t get the checkers, but that’s how you get them. You drive into the corner, or drive into the back of me, I’m going to be here for a while and if he keeps coming up through the ranks, he’s not going to have fun dealing with me every week.

“But right now? I’m going to race him as hard as he raced me, but just as clean as he raced me because he didn’t put a fender on me all day.”

Larson had his win over Falk in the back of his head during the closing laps at Bristol as he looked for a place to try to grab the win. Although he has received high praise from Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne as NASCAR’s next big star, his move in the “Battle of the Beach” caused many top Sprint Cup drivers to openly criticize Larson.

“I was pretty aggressive at the ‘Battle of the Beach’ and I didn’t want to have anything like that happen again and have more people look at me,” Larson said. “I don’t race that way and didn’t want to move (Busch). I wanted to outrace him. I’d gain a little more respect that way, and it made for a better finish, I think.”

Indeed it did, as both drivers closed in on lapped cars as they neared the finish line. Busch chose the low line and Larson went high, then tried to squeeze his way past Busch. Larson’s car bounced off of both the wall and Busch’s car, but he was nipped at the finish line by Busch by .023 seconds.

“He’s got a lot of talent,” Busch said. “Obviously, he’s already made a name for himself and he’s got a lot going for him. I’m 27 and I feel like I’m getting old. Every time I looked in the rear view mirror he caught me, so I stopped looking. I didn’t want to know where he was at.”

It was Busch’s fifth career Nationwide victory at Bristol, tying him with Kevin Harvick for the most in the series. Busch has a series-record 53 wins, and two in the last four weeks after going winless last season.

Brian Vickers was third and was followed by Nationwide Series points leader Sam Hornish Jr. and Harvick.

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The Brazilian right back’s first-half effort set Sir Alex Ferguson’s side on course for a victory, which was wrapped up 10 minutes from time by veteran Ryan Giggs.

Only an unparalleled meltdown will now stop United winning a 20th league crown, while only the greatest of escapes will see QPR stave off relegation.

Harry Redknapp’s side is still seven points adrift of safety but has only 11 matches remaining, with the twin brother of QPR loanee Fabio doing a lot of the damage Saturday.

While the Rs full back was ineligible to face his parent club, Rafael put in a fine performance in west London and rifled home from distance in the 23rd minute.

Giggs made sure of a victory that was never really in doubt late on at Loftus Road, where the only blot on a perfect afternoon for United was a knock to Robin van Persie.

Proceedings got off to a slow start in west London, where it took 13 minutes for the first chance of note to be created.

After being caught on the edge of the box by Jose Bosingwa — making his first appearance since Dec. 8 — Nani connected with the resulting free kick, only to see his flicked header go wide.

Adel Taarabt fired a low shot just wide of David de Gea’s near post soon after but United was in control.

Julio Cesar had to be alert to tip a goalbound Javier Hernandez effort over the bar, with the Mexican meeting a Ashley Young cross with a superb improvised header.

Stephane Mbia soon gifted United another chance. The midfielder was dispossessed on the right flank by Nani, whose driven cross just evaded Hernandez.

United did not have to wait long for the opener, though, with Rafael thumping home in style after 23 minutes.

Taarabt lost possession in his own half and play developed down the right, allowing van Persie to wriggle free and hit a cross. Cesar parried the acute drive but the ball fell kindly for Rafael, who hammered a 25-yard strike into the top corner.

Jamie Mackie and Andros Townsend blazed over as QPR attempted to draw parity, before Taarabt struck tamely wide when a wide ball to Townsend would have been wiser.

When the Tottenham loanee did get the ball moments later, his long-range effort forced a corner from which Christopher Samba saw a header cleared off the line by Rafael.

The right back, playing superbly in Shepherds Bush, then helped United counter, sending a fine ball over the top to van Persie, who saw a brilliant left-footed volley denied in equally impressive fashion by Cesar.

It was the Netherlands international’s last contribution before he was replaced by Danny Welbeck, having appeared to pick up a hip complaint earlier in the half.

Despite his exit, United continued to dominate and almost immediately doubled its advantage as Giggs swung in a free kick for the unmarked Nemanja Vidic to flash a header inches wide.

It was the last moment of note in the first period, which ended with Bobby Zamora, managing a long-term hip injury, pulling up.

The former Fulham striker managed to return for the second half unlike Esteban Granero, who was replaced by Jermaine Jenas after picking up a knock.

United continued strongly after the break but QPR was putting up more of a fight, with Taarabt seeing penalty appeals waved away.

The visitors were still threatening, though, and Hernandez saw an effort saved easily by Cesar before he was replaced by Wayne Rooney, who has been suffering with a sinus problem this week.

QPR also made a change in the 61st minute, with Zamora limping off to be replaced by Loic Remy — a change that almost paid dividends straight away.

The January signing made himself space in the box to unleash a well-struck effort that de Gea head to be alert to stop, with Samba heading wide from the following corner.

United soon settled, though, and QPR captain Clint Hill did well to block a close-range strike by substitute Rooney, before Jenas put in an equally-impressively challenge to deny Welbeck.

The visitors did grab a second goal 10 minutes from time as Nani played a cute ball through to Giggs, whose strike from an acute angle beat Cesar to send the 3,081 visiting supporters into raptures.

Giggs saw a looped strike rattle the crossbar and a Samba header brushed the post late on, but there was to be no more goals despite the best efforts of both sides.

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Arjen Robben opened the scoring in the 25th minute and Javi Martinez made it 2-0 moments later.

Sebastian Prodl was red-carded in the 44th minute before fellow Bremen defender Theo Gebre Selassie scored an own-goal after 49 minutes. Gomez increased the lead to 4-0 in the 51st minute.

Kevin de Bruyne pulled a goal back for Bremen in the 58th minute, but Franck Ribery joined in with the scoring in the 86th minute before Gomez netted again in the final minute.

Bayern increased its lead to 18 points over Borussia Dortmund with its sixth straight victory in what was coach Jupp Heynckes’ 1,000th Bundesliga match as coach and player.

Bremen remains on 28 points after its second straight loss.

Heynckes made six changes to his lineup following the Champions League win over Arsenal, with Robben and Gomez starting.

Bayern had the first chance after 20 minutes but Bremen goalkeeper Sebastian Mielitz made a fine save from Robben.

Bayern went ahead 1-0 five minutes later with an attack from the right, Philipp Lahm crossing into the box where a charging Robben poked home from five yards.

The lead doubled after 29 minutes as Robben sent a free kick into the box and Martinez headed home.

Bremen went a man down a minute before the break as Prodl was sent off for a professional foul on Gomez.

Bayern made it 3-0 thanks to an own-goal early in the second half when Gebre Selassie’s attempted clearance ended in Mielitz’s net.

Two minutes later it was four as Ribery looped a pass to Gomez, who passed the ball into the empty goal.

Bremen pulled a goal back in the 58th minute as Dante’s clearance only went to Aleksandar Ignjovski, who passed to de Bruyne and the Belgian did the rest.

Ribery made it five in the 86th minute, latching on to Lahm’s fine looping pass before beating Mielitz, while Gomez hit Bayern’s sixth in the 89th minute.

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The new captain met with his club for a few minutes Saturday and told his teammates the effort and production weren’t good enough from anyone — including himself.

The message wasn’t kept behind closed doors. Giroux made a public declaration that things had to change quickly. In his first chance to put his words into action, Giroux led by brilliant example.

Giroux scored 26 seconds into Monday’s matinee against the New York Islanders, and added a goal and assist in the second period of the Flyers’ 7-0 victory.

Giroux combined with linemates Matt Read and Jakub Voracek for three goals and 10 points as Philadelphia (7-9-1) earned just its third road win in 12 away games this season.

“We played with attitude. High intensity, and played as a team,” Giroux said. “That’s how we have to play — a full 60 minutes. We didn’t let down and we wanted to win. I think it showed.”

Read had a goal and two assists, and Voracek — added to the line late in Saturday’s loss — had a career-high four assists. Ilya Bryzgalov made 19 saves for his first shutout of the season and 30th in the NHL.

The Flyers blocked 23 shots in front of him.

Giroux led from the opening shift that included a hit on Islanders star John Tavares before starting the scoring. He hadn’t scored in seven games, and netted only one goal in 14 after posting a goal in each of Philadelphia’s first two games.

“When you’re a young guy and you become captain, it’s a pretty heavy weight sometimes,” veteran forward Mike Knuble said. “A lot of the extra things that go along with being captain maybe drag you down a little bit and maybe make you feel like you’re playing with a lot on your back.

“You could tell that he got something out of his system and was playing like the point-per-game guy that he is.”

Zac Rinaldo scored his first of the season, and third of his NHL career, to make it 5-0 at 3:31 of the third. Danny Briere scored twice in the final period — first on a power play with 9:33 left and then with 2:14 remaining.

“Everybody took a good hard look in the mirror,” Briere said. “(The meeting) wasn’t very long, but it was to the point, saying that we need everybody to get into the game. What he did the last few years for this team, I think he earned a lot of respect throughout the room.

“He could’ve done the same thing without being captain and I think everybody would’ve responded the same way.”

In between Giroux’s goals, Read and Brayden Schenn scored for the Flyers, who had lost three of the first four on a six-game trip that ends Wednesday in Pittsburgh.

“You’d like to bottle it up and carry it right into Pitt,” coach Peter Laviolette said.

Evgeni Nabokov played better than his statistics showed and made 18 saves for New York (6-8-1). He kept the Islanders in it during the first period that was dominated by Philadelphia.

“Our battle level was nowhere near where it had to be,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. “We have to find better ways to find it. We have to generate more.

“Nabby has been there for us. I didn’t think of taking him out.”

The Flyers connected just 15 seconds into the second when Read scored his seventh, putting in a rebound of Giroux’s shot. Schenn scored a power-play goal at 7:57, and Giroux connected again with 5:15 left.

Philadelphia scored three times on just six second-period shots.

The Islanders couldn’t sustain momentum generated by wins over the rival New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils in their previous two games following a five-game losing streak. While the Flyers will soon be heading home, the Islanders begin a three-game trip at Ottawa on Tuesday.

“We have to just put this behind us,” Islanders captain Mark Streit said. “We were terrible start to finish. This was not acceptable in any way. We have a chance to get a good night’s sleep and come out strong (Tuesday).”

The Islanders had been riding a hot power-play unit that scored on seven of 12 chances the previous three games, but it failed them during a 5-on-3 advantage that lasted a full two minutes in the first and generated only one shot.

“That was a huge momentum swing on our part,” Briere said.

Game notes

It was Philadelphia’s most lopsided regular-season shutout win since topping Atlanta 7-0 on Oct. 28, 2008. … The Flyers have scored 14 goals in road wins over the Islanders and Florida this season, but have netted only 15 in their other nine road games. … The Flyers have gone six consecutive games without allowing a power-play goal (21-for-21). They have killed 38 of 40 over 10 games. … Tavares was chosen as the NHL’s first star of past week after scoring five goals and adding two assists in three games. … Islanders D Brian Strait injured his left ankle during the second period when he appeared to catch his skate in the ice without being hit and crashed into the boards. After the game, the team learned Strait had fractured his left ankle and he was placed on the injured list. The Islanders activated defenseman Radek Martinek from the injured list. … Rinaldo hadn’t scored since March 15, 2012, also against the Islanders.

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Emmanuel Emenike gave the Super Eagles the lead just before the break and although Cheick Tiote equalized early in the second half, Sunday Mba’s deflected effort won the game for Nigeria, which will now face Mali in the semifinals on Wednesday.

Boubacar Barry, Yaya Toure and Gervinho all returned for the Elephants after they were rested for the 2-2 draw against Algeria.

Fedor Ogude was suspended for Nigeria but John Obi Mikel returned, while Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo was not 100 percent fit having picked up a knock in the opening match of the competition.

Nigeria created the first chance after just six minutes when a Victor Moses free kick from the right was headed over the bar by Brown Ideye from six yards out.

Souleymane Bamba produced a overhead kick from a Romaric corner after 13 minutes, but his effort went over the bar.

Nigeria had the best chance of what was a dull opening 30 minutes when Ideye played the ball through to Emenike on the counter-attack, only for the Spartak Moscow man to screw his shot wide from inside the box.

Emenike made up for that miss three minutes before the break, though, rifling home a 25-yard free-kick past Barry. The goalkeeper would have been disappointed with his effort, flapping at the ball as it whistled past his head and into the net.

Ivory Coast was level three minutes after the interval when Didier Drogba’s free kick from the left was headed home by Tiote from close range.

Nigeria fought back and almost took the lead were it not for Barry, who atoned somewhat for his earlier error.

Moses’ outswinging corner found Ideye at the far post but his close-range header was blocked by the stopper.

His counterpart at the other end, Vincent Enyeama, was next to impress by parrying Yaya Toure’s powerful shot from the edge of the area to safety.

Nigeria took full advantage of Enyeama’s save when with 12 minutes left Mba ran at the Ivory Coast back-line and, with few options available, he opted to shoot.

The ball deflected off Bamba and Barry who could only watch as the ball looped over his head and into the top corner.

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