Wolves 1 Aston Villa 1 - Post analysis
Oct 26 2009 by Lisa Smith, Birmingham Post
“We couldn’t get it down and play in the first half,” he lamented. “We couldn’t get to grips with the game. I am disappointed because going into this game we had such confidence.”
Villa were far from the side of last week with John Carew looking lost and the midfield overrrun by Karl Henry and Michael Kightly.
Only James Milner and Agbonlahor really looked on the ball – the Villa striker guilty of scuffing an effort in the first minute which was easily saved by Wayne Hennessey.
After Wolves were denied Doyle’s penalty shout they came back fighting – only Villa’s James Collins and Carlos Cuellar able to do anything to nullify the charge.
Kevin Doyle – once a target for O’Neill – then linked up well with Ronald Zubar to test Friedel, before a Michael Kightly threaded ball from Ebanks-Blake was sent just wide of the upright.
Hennessy then showed just why he is considered the best goalkeeper in the valleys with a fine one-handed save from Milner before an inswinging Stephen Warnock corner forced another save.
Villa have played better and, although Steve Sidwell was unlucky to see his shot denied by the backside of team-mate Dunne, had to wait until the 79th minute for their breakthrough, courtesy of good work by the out-of-favour Emile Heskey, who was on as a second-half substitute for the weary Carew.
The big England striker did well to latch on to a Milner pass, squaring it for Agbonlahor who turned Jody Craddock to fire the ball home.
Villa’s celebrations were shortlived however, Sidwell mistiming a tackle on Kightly, who had done well to pick up a Nenand Milijas back-heel.
Up stepped Ebanks-Blake to smash it home his jubilant celebrations signalling the fact he is now off the mark.
Scorers: Agbonlahor (79) 0-1, Ebanks-Blake (pen, 83) 1-1.
Wolves (4-4-2): Hennessey, Zubar, Craddock, Berra, Elokobi, Edwards (Milijas, 75) , Henry, Castillo, Kightly (Halford, 86), Ebanks-Blake (Iwelumo, 86) Doyle. Substitutes: Hahnemann, Stearman, Keogh, Jarvis.
Aston Villa (4-4-2): Friedel, Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Milner, Petrov, Sidwell, A Young, Carew (Heskey, 71), Agbonlahor. Substitutes: Guzan, L Young, Delph, Reo-Coker, Gardner, Clark.
Referee: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).
Bookings: Wolves – Zubar; Villa – Carew, Warnock.
Attendance: 28,734
Wolves man of the match: Karl Henry – worked tirelessly in a midfield packed with players who cost four times as much as him.
Villa man of the match: James Collins – solid, dependable performance is now the standard, week in, week out.
