The Last Time Villa Came Calling

NEWCASTLE: Harper, Carr, Taylor, Bramble, Huntington, Milner,Butt (Sibierski 33), Parker, Duff, Dyer, Martins.
Subs Not Used: Srnicek, Edgar, O'Brien, Carroll.
 
ASTON VILLA: Sorensen, Bardsley, Mellberg, Cahill,Bouma (Angel 85), McCann, Petrov, Barry, Agbonlahor,Carew (Berger 69), Young.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Davis, Hughes.
 
Att: 49,201
 
So often in recent weeks we have wondered why Newcastle have started matches as though they were on a holiday at Butlins. But that cannot be said on Wednesday evening, as Villa did't know what the hell had hit them.

Glenn Roeder's spat with Villa boss Martin O'Neill could have fired up James Milner, who almost became a Villa player last August. The youngster pledged his future to Newcastle; Roeder said O'Neill "lacked courage" to take the Toon job when it was offered to him; and O'Neill said his present club were a better proposition than the Toon.

As the visitors started with a new-look strike force of £8million man Ashley Young and John Carew, while Roeder was left with egg on his face trying to coax players to come to St James' Park on loan, because his chairman kept out of the way.

It was Milner who opened the scoring with five minutes gone, as the Magpies exploded out of the blocks with a purpose we haven't seen for some time.

Milner scored his fourth goal in the last four home games exploiting ex-Mackem Gavin McCann's slip to smash a left-foot shot past another ex-Mackem Thomas Sorensen.

Milner was at again, slipping past the ragged Villa defence to set up Kieron Dyer to score a clever header beyond the dazzed goalkeeper.

Sorensen was beaten for a third time in the 18th minute when Scott Parker blasted a dipping shot past him - but it come back off the crossbar with O'Neill throwing a tantrum on the touch-line blasting his defenders.

However, on 25 minutes a Gareth Barry's corner fell at Young's feet, and he netted to drag Villa back into the game.

The Magpies' fell apart and Steve Harper was called into action to halt Villa's attackers as Steve Taylor had a terrible time trying to win anything that arrived into the box at head height.

Harper produced a fine reaction save to deny Young from another half-cleared corner on 32 minutes and then needed to be at his best to keep out a smartly-struck Carew volley two minutes before the break.

After the break Harper pulled off a superb save to keep out Gabriel Agbonlahor and you could feel the tension in the stands.

Carew had a header ruled out for a push on Sibierski, but as expected, the little Irish leprechaun had something to blame the defeat on.

Villa continued to battle, but in injury-time Duff and Martins combined to set up Sibierski, who applied a stylish finish attacking from the right.

 

 

Att: 52,267 
 
In some respects Gareth Barry handed beleaguered Newcastle boss Graeme Souness a lifeline when he fired an 87th-minute penalty high over the crossbar, but minutes later Toon fans made their feelings felt outside the ground and sang exactly what they think about the manager. Put it this way ... "Souness out!" does not need explaining.

Scott Parker and Amady Faye sat tight in a three-man midfield and set the tone right from the start. Villa perhaps played the more fluent football, but United looked marginally the more dangerous in the final third of the pitch.

Villa were always in the hunt and they drew level after 75 minutes when, after Hendrie had squared from the left, McCann held off Shola Ameobi to drill a low drive past Given from 20 yards.