Sunderland 1-2 Villa – It wasn’t pretty… in fact it was ugly

January 18, 2009 by Martin Banks
Filed under: Aston Villa, Match Reports 
ian dowie

Not this ugly though

It took 2 debatable goals and 2 penalty let-offs for us to win yesterday and Sunderland fans will be raging. Villa were already getting criticism for being lucky and now we will be hammered with jibes, but the majority of the ‘luck’ we have received in the last month we have worked very hard for. You make your own luck, as they say.

Four penalty related incidents

Yesterday, Mike Dean twice waved away handballs in our box, that on another day could’ve both been given as penalties, and, at the other end, gave us a penalty that could be argued was outside the box and allowed a goal that even James Milner admitted might’ve been put in with his hand. It’s not hard to imagine this game ending as a 3-0 win to the home side, with the four major decisions going the other way.

Both of the handballs in our box were accidental, but both were penalties in the letter of the law. If every single incident like this was given, we’d be watching penalties every two minutes, it’s just so much harder to stomach for Sunderland fans when 2 more desicions went our way and cost them the game.

The first goal looked very much like a Maradona style handball, but Sunderland can’t argue too much because if Dean hadn’t allowed it, he would’ve been forced to give us a penalty and send off Chimbonda. Barry doesn’t miss many, so maybe a goal was the best decision for the Mackems as they retained their 11 men on the pitch.

Then with 10 minutes left Paul McShane made a high challenge on Agbon that would’ve been a definite free kick on the edge of the box, but McShane followed Gabby into the box, leaning on him just enough to make him go tumbling over. Aggy’s momentum made it look worse than it was but the real question is; should a free kick have been given on the edge of the box for a high foot or did Gabby have the ‘play on advantage’ going into the box, where McShane brought him down for a penalty? It’s a touch and go decision that could’ve gone either way, as a Villan I’m going to say the ref got it right.

Seeing Red

The other big incident of the game was Ashley Young’s red card for a studs up, two foooted challenge. Well, anyone who knows Young, knows that there was no malicious intent there, but intentional or not it was a dangerous lunge and he can’t argue with the dismissal. Young will miss 3 games, but his timing is fairly fortuitous, as he will miss next week’s FA Cup game against Doncaster or Cheltenham and then Portsmouth and Wigan in the league. Not that Pompey and the Latics are easy games but it’s better than no Ashley against Everton and Chelsea and he’ll probably lose little sleep about the FA Cup game, after the way he got kicked around by Gillingham.

Getting lucky?

With the two games we won 1-0 thanks to own goals, the referee’s decision reversal about giving Hull a penalty in the dying minutes, and the last gasp winners at Goodison and at home to Arsenal, it can’t be denied that we have rode our luck in recent weeks, but Villa fans will know better than anyone how much we deserve it. We’ve spent years of averageness, getting no luck whatsoever and now we are working so hard and driving teams right to the final whistle so much that a bit of luck is going to come our way. We have a very young and fit team that takes advantage of the opposition’s tiredness at the end of games and a talented determined team that work very hard to create chances. Hopefully football fans will see that Villa are working very hard to get where they are, not just getting handed it on a plate by Lady Luck.

Match highlights

Sunderland V Aston Villa


Comments

One Comment on Sunderland 1-2 Villa – It wasn’t pretty… in fact it was ugly

  1. EPL Title Hopefuls Leave It Late, Abramovich Doesn’t Want to Sell Chelsea on Mon, 19th Jan 2009 4:14

    2. [...] Stoke, but they could easily be behind Arsenal in fifth if not for an ugly, Mike Dean-influenced 2-1 win at Sunderland. I bet Howard Webb isn’t feeling so bad [...]

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