Villa vs Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar (including goal updates)

By: Martini Extra Dry | August 28th, 2008

Villa’s game is about to kick off aganst the Icelandic part-timers and we take a nice, comfortable 4-1 lead into the second leg of this UEFA Cup qualifier. I’ll reach for my laptop and post any goal (or major events) updates for those who don’t have Channel 5.

Villa starting line-up:

Friedel
Reo-Coker – Davies – Knight – Barry
Gardner – Salifou – Osbourne
Routledge – Harewood – Agbonlahor

I wonder what odds you could’ve got for predicting that line-up! Pretty good, I bet.

So it’s an experimental starting team from O’Neill, including players playing out of position (partially forced) and many of the usual bench getting into the team. The game is very low risk, so a perfect chance for the gaffer to see some of his fringe players in a competitive game. I know that many Villa Offside readers are big Salifou fans so his starting place, anchored in the middle, will please you.

These kind of games have sometimes backfired though so the bench contains Laursen, Young, Carew and Petrov, ready to jump in to the rescue if needed.

Right then, laptop down and TV volume up, I’ll be back to inform of any action…

27 mins – It had been coming for a while, Craig Gardner smashes his strike, almost through the net, to give Villa a fully deserved lead.

30 mins – Not long after taking the lead, Villa do their usual thing and concede. FH have had few chances but they took this one and brought the night level.

Half-time – Villa go in one a-piece at the break, rueing missed chances. Really Villa should be at least 2 ahead in this game, having created many many good chances but not quite burying them. The attacking energy is encouraging though, hopefully the sharpness will come in the second half.

Full-time – Fairly uneventful second half with both teams having good chances but no-one adding to the scoreline. 1-1 it ends, making it 5-2 on aggregate and Villa sail on through.

It was a good run-out for the youngsters and fringe players and O’Neill will have learnt from it. No-one expected them to suddenly click as a team on the first try but the passing and attacking movements were nice and fluid, just lacking in the finishing department.