Villa knocked out by Vienna
James Milner scored Villa's second penalty but the home side were guilty of wasting chances
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Thursday, 27, Aug 2009 10:17
By Matt Hallam.
Aston Villa 2 - 1 Rapid Vienna (2 - 2)
Aston Villa crashed out of the Uefa Europa League at Villa Park, losing on the away goals rule to Rapid Vienna.
Martin O'Neill's side won the second-leg 2 - 1, but Nikica Jelavic's away goal levelled the aggregate score at 2- 2 which was enough to send the Austrian side through.
After losing the first-leg 1 - 0 Villa knew they had to win the game by two clear goals at Villa Park. After goals from James Milner and John Carew it looked as though they would progress, however Jelavic's goal 12 minutes from time ended any European hopes Villa may have had.
O'Neill made four changes from the side that beat Liverpool on Monday night with 18-year-old Fabian Delph starting in midfield and Carew, playing his first game of the season, with Emile Heskey up front.
Rapid started the quicker and Carlos Cuellar did well to block the tricky Christopher Drazan's cross from the left.
O'Neill's side soon sprang into action though and should have scored after seven minutes when Milner was sent clear by Carew's flick on. However, the England International's cross was too high for Heskey.
Rapid looked dangerous on the counter attack and Cuellar was shown an early yellow card for bringing down Steffen Hoffman 20 yards from goal, however the Rapid captain failed to hit the target with his free kick that flew just past Brad Guzan's right-hand post.
Young was guilty of wasting Villa's best chance when he missed a penalty with half an hour gone. The winger was released by Delph, and after being fouled outside the box the referee played good advantage, allowing Young to continue his run into the penalty area where he was brought down by Markus Heikkinen. However it was a poor penalty and an easy save to Helge Payer's right hand side in the Rapid goal.
Amazingly, Young won a second penalty seven minutes before half-time. The impressive Delph broke up play in midfield before playing a quick pass to Young on the left who drove into the box to be brought down by Andreas Dober. Milner stepped up to take the penalty and smashed the ball past Payer to draw his side level 1 - 1 on aggregate.
Rapid responded well to the goal and Curtis Davies was lucky not to score an own goal after his attempted clearance from a corner looped just over the bar.
Rapid came straight out of the blocks for the second half and after Hoffman fired over, Cuellar made an excellent clearance off the line after another shot from the Rapid captain had beaten Guzan.
Villa were shocked into action and Carew was unlucky with an exquisite back heel that went just wide.
And it was Carew who doubled his team's lead minutes later. After being released down the right by Milner, the Norway striker, playing his first game this season, cut inside Ragnvald Soma and slotted the ball past Payer at his near post to make it 2 - 0 on the night and 2 - 1 on aggregate.
Again, the Austrian side came back at Villa, but were unable to test Guzan, with Drazan and Yelavic firing over.
Young continued his impressive display on the left, driving infield and releasing a low curling shot that Payer parried to Milner, who could only find the side netting with rebound.
Rapid should have scored when Guzan parried substitute Maierhofer's overhead kick to Jelavic who somehow poked his effort wide from three yards.
However, O'Neill's men failed to heed the warning and paid the ultimate price when Jelavic hit what proved to be a vital away goal past Guzan with 12 minutes left.
With the aggregate score at 2 - 2 and Rapid leading on away goals, O'Neill sent on Gabriel Agbongahor for the ineffective Heskey.
The striker had barley been on the pitch when Hoffman squandered a chance to seal the game, hitting the ball over from 5 yards after Guzman failed to hold onto Jelavic's shot.
Villa tried in vain to force an injury time winner but Rapid defended doggedly in the final 10 minutes to secure their place in the next round of the Europa League.
Aston Villa: Guzan, Beye, Cuellar, Davies (Lowry 83), Shorey, Milner, Petrov, Delph (Albrighton 86), Ashley Young, Heskey (Agbonglahor 82), Carew.
Subs: Friedel, Sidwell, Agbonlahor, Albrighton, Reo-Coker, Gardner, Lowry.
Rapid Vienna: Payer, Soma, Katzer, Dober, Patocka, Heikkinen, Pehlivan, Hoffmann, Drazan, Trimmel (Maierhofer 56), Jelavic (Boskovic 87).
Subs: Hedl, Thonhofer, Kulovits, Maierhofer, Eder, Boskovic, Konrad.