Aston Villa 0-2 Newcastle Utd liveblog

By: Martini Extra Dry | November 3rd, 2008

FT – At last the whistle blows and we are defeated by bottom of the league, in a very weird weekend where the four bottom teams have all won. Newcastle fly up the table with that win, all the way to 14th! A huge leap. Villa stay 5th, still a good position to be in but disappointment reigns supreme for Villans tonight.

93 – Whistkes all round St James’s Park, Bennett might aswell put us out of our misery.

92 – Sub: Owen gets a pointless run-on with seconds to go, Ameobi wanders off.

91 – Corner to Villa, all we can hope for us a consolation… but it doesn’t come. Sidwell’s shot is woeful.

89 – Milner gets hold of the ball off Butt, but he dawdles and Butt takes it back off him. Typical example of how we are wasting our possession.

88 – The game is running away from us, a minute left and we are giving away free-kicks in our own half.

87 – Sub: No hat-trick then for Martins, as he walks off for Cacapa.

85 – Sub: Harewood comes on for Reo-Coker, not a change you can see saving us here.

84 – Cuellar’s cross is too long and high and goes out for a goal-kick.

83 – It looks very much like Villa have thrown away a fantastic chance to go third as the second tick away.

81 – Gutierrez loses Reo-Coker, who gives up too easily and the simple cut back to Martins is also too easy as Laursen and Young ignore the first rule of defending; get goal side! You could see it coming a mile off. Very poor from Villa.

80 – Good defending from Laursen and Reo-Coker saves Villa, but we still look frail.

79 – Sidwell gives it away weakly to waste a Villa attack. Barry hasn’t gone to left-back by the way. He and Sidwell are in the middle, with Reo-Coker right-back and Luke Young left-back.

78 – Vill have had a lot of the ball but they don’t look strong enough in the final third to get back into this game. Everything can change in games like these though, as we all know well.

77 – Another card, this time for Sidwell and again, had it caught Martins worse, could’ve easily been red.

76 – O’Neill is remonstrating as Cteve Bennett over-rules his assistant and the Villa manager doesn’t like it.

74 – Larsen gives as good as he got and Ameobi is crumpled on the deck. No card for Laursen though. Ecentually Butt kicks the drop-kick to Villa.

73 – At last the game is getting some pace, Villa desperately need a goal soon though to get back into it.

71 – Sub: Sidwell on for Shorey, so is Barry headng to left back? Dos this mean there will be tears from him in the papers tomorrow?

70 – Shola Ameobi gets himself a yellow card for wayward arms in the header.

69 – The danger isn’t over, Newcastle get a corner that falls to Butt, who hits it into the stands.

68 – More twisting and turning from Martins but he’s crowded out.

66 – Nicky Butt hits it excellently but, like Laursen’s earier header, it hits the outside of the post.

65 – Luke Young bungles down Damien Duff in a dangerous area…

64 – More Toon pressure but they can’t find a way through and head home.

62 – Villa are rattled and are giving the ball away too easily.

61 – Newcastle are buiyed and push forward, Ameobi’s cross finding Martins but despite being poorly marked he can’t do anything with it.

59 – GOAL! Martins turns Laursen and Shorey inside out and fires from distance into the bottom corner. 1-0 Newcastle. Hardly deserved but good finish.

57 – The ref is getting a lot of small decisions wrong and it isn’t helping to calm down either team, the management or the fans.

56 – Cuellar collides into Martins but the Toon striker gets ratty with Bennett and insists a card should’ve been shown, which earns him one! Fool.

54 – More seedless Villa pressure, Young athletically keeps the ball inplay but it falls to Damien Duff.

53 – Barton is lucky to only get a yellow for a studs up challenge on Luke Young. I’ve seen people go for less, but the contact in the end was minimal, so he stays.

52 – Carew is having a good game but is being held pretty depp and pushed wide when he does attack. Villa either need to use Milner and Young on the wings when we attack or Carew needs to charge through the middle.

51 – Young is ok, and comes back onto the field of play.

49 – Young goes down clutching his head but Steve Bennett ignores him. Newcastle fluff the attack though and Young gets the treatment he needs.

47 – Villa have come out strongest, attacking again down the left, this time with Agbon, but he gets crowded out and can’t find the waiting Barry.

46 – Early break down the left by Young, his cross almost reaching Agbon. Villa get the corner, though it was debatable, but Milner’s resulting header is wide.

HT – The first half has seen half-chances for each team, Gabby’s glaring miss being by far the best of the bunch but ultimately neither team has been anywhere near sharp enough in front of goal to make a break-through. Both managers will be attempting to gee up their players right now, in an attempt to change this game from the scrappy middle of the park battle it’s turned into, to more of a flowing game that might lead to goal scoring opportunities.

46 – Half time

45 – Probably the final attack of the half, Milner crosses well to Carew but the whistle goes for the big mans hustling.

44 – Ashley Young wastes another free-kick but Newcastle’s counter is just as fruitless. This game is getting pretty scrappy.

41 – Newcastle are passing it arund very well now, but again Villa are holding them out of the box very well.

40 – Beye puts a lethal ball across the goal but no-one gets to it and Villa are let off.

39 – Newcastle are attacking a lot more now but aren’t really troubling Friedel as yet.

38 – Milner puts Carew through but he makes a rare mistake and over runs it out for a goal-kick.

37 – Ashley Young is free again but his shot is well over.

36 – Luke Young gets a yellow, again for late challenge on that man Gutierrez.

35 – Young is one on one with Given but hits it straight at him.

34 – Duff and Martins link up well but Barton ballses it up with a poor pass.

33 – Still 0-0 but both these teams are leaky at the back so surely there are goals to come.

31 – Talk of the devil; Martins beats Laursen and Shorey but his shot flies into the stands.

30 – More Villa pressure but Newcastle are mopping up well at the back tonight. Villa look the strongest so far though but we need to watch them on the break.

28 – Free-kick to Villa, wide right. Milner floats it over and Laursen wins the header again, but it’s a long way wide.

27 – Newcastle send a ball forward but Martins is offside by about 3 miles!

25 – Another decision goes against Barton. Barry fires it wide to Young who brings it inside for Milner to strike. He hits it over though and St James’s Park love it.

23 – The ref has a word with Milner, telling him to calm down, as this game is starting to get heated.

22 – Barry challenges Gutierrez late and the acrobats he performs earns Barry a yellow card. Newcastle break and Barton’s shot is held by Freidel.

21 – Milner lays in Agbon for an almost definite goal but somehow he totally misses the ball! His mind is not on the game now as the temperature begins to build in this game.

20 – Agbon and Barton have a little bit of afters, not quite sure what Bartons attempting though, it looked like he tried to wipe his nose for him!

18 – Agbonlahor needlessly throws Barton to the ground, but the ref obviously hates Barton as much as I do and gives Villa the free-kick. Nothing comes of it though, which is probably for the best as it was totally undeserved.

16 – Gutierrez, who is definitely looking like Newcastle’s danger man, feeds Duff, who goes down in the box very lightly under pressure from Luke Young. Ref isn’t fooled, no penalty.

15 – Good defensive work for Barry, cuts out a Newcastle attempt to pressure.

13 – Couple of low key minutes after a lively start to the game for both teams.

11 – At the other end, Martins gets the better of Cuellar but strikes a little too early and it sails over from distance. No troubles for Freidel.

10 – Barry’s corner is won in the air by Laursen but it clips the post and goes wide. Close call.

9 – Carew displays great control and his usual skills at holding the ball up and earns Villa a corner.

8 – Yellow card to Beye and a free-kick to Vilal but they make nothing of it.

7 – Newcastle have a corner but Laursen is first to it and clears the danger.

Villa team:
Friedel
Young – Cuellar – Laursen (c) – Shorey
Milner – Reo-Coker – Barry – Young
Carew – Agbonlahor

Looks like O’Neill reads my blog before picking the team