Aston Villa take derby spoils to move into top four
Gabriel Agbonlahor has scored five goals this season.
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Sunday, 21, Sep 2008 08:58
Aston Villa have climbed into the top four after a 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Midlands derby at the Hawthorns.
Martin O'Neill's side notched up their third away win in a week thanks to two goals in two minutes from John Carew and Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Jonathan Morrison scored for the home side but it was not enough as Villa held on to move above West Ham United into fourth spot.
Curtis Davies returned for Villa to face his former club while Gianni Zuiverloon was passed fit to play for the Baggies.
And Davies had his work cut out in the opening minutes with Jonathan Greening lashing a ferocious strike which Brad Friedel saved, while Morrison’s teasing cross was hacked cleared by Davies.
This sparked the visitors into action and they were guilty of wastefulness in front of goal with Carew heading Ashley Young's free-kick wide.
And the same duo combined to give Villa the lead on 27 minutes when an unmarked Carew headed in off the post.
A minute later, O’Neill's men punished more woeful West Brom defending to go 2-0 up with Leon Barnett poking the ball into the path of Agbonlahor who fizzed a shot into the corner.
But Tony Mowbray's side also benefited from some schoolboy defending to reduce their deficit on 34 minutes when Friedel spilled Robert Koren's long-range effort, allowing Morrison to stab in the rebound.
Friedel partially redeemed himself on the stroke of half-time to keep his side level with a sensational one-handed save to keep out Kim's glancing header.
Villa continued their free-flow attacking football in the second half and Carew should have sealed the game but his low strike from Nigel Reo Coker’s through ball went inches wide, while the Dane rattled the post with a header minutes later.
Mowbray brought on Ishmael Miller and Luke Moore in the closing stages in search of an equaliser. And it was Moore who came closest to scoring against his former club but his strike from six yards was blocked by Gareth Barry as the visitors clung on to continue their impressive start to the season.