Aston Villa 1-1 Middlesbrough
Looking to establish some credibility following their humiliating FA Cup exit at the hands of Cardiff City, Middlesbrough produced a much-improved performance against Aston Villa as the spoils were shared at Villa Park…
The visitors perhaps caught their hosts by surprise, coming out the more energetic side and creating the more chances on goal from the off.
Midway through the first half they took the lead through prized asset Stewart Downing, who drilled home from inside the area, capitalising on Zat Knight’s poor clearance.
They were good value for their lead up until half time. After the break Villa came out a more composed and assured unit and edged their way back into the game, with home advantage no doubt helping them along, if only slightly.
Scores were leveled when handball was given against Luke Young to the behest of the Boro boys as a shot from Ashley Young cannoned off the defender’s arm. It was a slightly harsh award, but Villa captain Gareth Barry showed no remose from the spot, placing his penalty in the back of the net to draw the home side level, much to manager Martin O’Neill’s relief.
The final 15 or so minutes thereafter were played out quite scrappily, with neither side willing to surrender the point they had. It was Villa who had the better of the play — particularly toward the end — but Boro held out for a morale-boosting draw.
First Half
Robert Huth was the unlikely source of Boro’s first chance, as they came out the stronger side and the German defender’s header went just over the bar.
The first genuine chance came to Tuncay Sanli; the Turk was clear in the area but Carson closed down well to keep it out, with Mido unable to fire in the rebound.
Gareth Southgate’s men were beginning to put their passes together as well, as a promising move produced a decent 20-yard effort from Mohamed Shawky that went over the bar.
Villa were looking shaky — or perhaps rusty — and it was yet another clumsy error that gifted Boro a deserved lead.
On 22 minutes Zat Knight’s poor clearance gifted an opportunity to left-winger Stewart Downing, who did well to drill his effort into the bottom corner beyond the out-stretched left hand of England’s Scott Carson.
It was only after the goal that Villa looked like getting forward. Their first chance came in the form of an awful long-range effort from Ashley Young, but it at least signalled some kind of intent.
Shawky soon had his second effort for Boro and it was a better one, just wide and again from a distance. Gary O’Neil was then the unlikely source of a precise pass that almost set up Tuncay to double the visitors’ advantage.
The home side almost grabbed an equaliser before the break as Boro had Mido to thank for clearing John Carew’s effort off the line.
Second Half
Martin O’Neill knew his side’s first half performance was not good enough — particularly at home — and made two daring substitutions at half time, with Olof Mellberg on for Craig Gardner and Marlon Harewood on for Shaun Maloney.
They began to dominate more of the possession as a result, but chances were still rarely forthcoming. A decent chipped effort from captain Gareth Barry and a weak header from Ashley Young straight into the arms of Mark Schwarzer in the Middlesbrough goal were their only genuine chances.
That, of course, was until the penalty was awarded. It was an Ashley Young shot that his his namesake — Boro defender Luke — on the arm from close distance, and Boro perhaps rightly felt hard done by by the award, with both Mido and Schwarzer booked for their protests.
Gareth Barry stepped up to wrong-foot Schwarzer from the spot, placing it to his right as the keeper went the other way.
From then on Gareth Southgate was largely resigned to the draw and did not want to risk losing all three points, while his side ended the match visibly frustrated, it was arguably O’Neill’s Villa who on reflection will be more disappointed with the result.
LINE-UPS
Aston Villa (4-4-2): Carson — Gardner (Mellberg, 45), Knight, Laursen, Bouma — Maloney (Harewood, 45), Reo-Coker, Barry, Young — Agbonlahor, Carew
Unused substitutes: Taylor, Salifou, Osbourne
Middlesbrough (4-4-2): Schwarzer — Young, Huth, Wheater, Pogatetz — O’Neil, Boateng, Shawky, Downing — Sanli, Mido (Cattermole, 81)
Unused substitutes: Turnbull, Rochemback, Johnson, Grounds
GOALS
0-1 (Middlesbrough) Stewart Downing, 23
1-1 (Aston Villa) Gareth Barry, 73 (pen)
BOOKINGS
(Middlesbrough) Mohamed Shawky, 28
(Middlesbrough) Mido, 72
(Middlesbrough) Schwarzer, 72
(Middlesbrough) Boateng, 82
(Middlesbrough) Huth, 89
Referee: Steve Bennett
Attendance: 39,874
Chet Winter, Goal.com
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