Filed under: Aston Villa, West Brom, Premier League, Football, Match Reports
Youssouf Mulumbu was the hero at
The Hawthorns as 10-man West Brom came from behind to claim local bragging rights at the expense of Aston Villa and virtually guarantee Premier League football for next season.
Villa, who were once again without manager
Gerard Houllier as he continues his recovery from a heart scare at home, had taken the lead via
Abdoulaye Meite's early own goal only for
Peter Odemwingie to level for
Roy Hodgson's team with his 14th goal of the season.
The game appeared to have turned in Villa's favour when
Paul Scharner was sent off
but it was Mulumbu who had the final say with a cool finish late on as the Baggies, who have lost just once since Hodgson's arrival, leapfrogged their local rivals to reach 43 points and go eight points clear of the drop zone with just nine left to play for.
Villa, meanwhile, remain on 41 and caretaker manager
Gary McAllister will have been left wondering how his team failed to take anything from a game they largely dominated as they threw points away again - in total the figure now stands at 26.
It took just four minutes for the visitors to go ahead, although they had West Brom largely to thank, after Meite stuck out a leg in a bid to clear
Stewart Downing's low cross from the right only to calamitously stab it into his own net.
The goal unsettled the Baggies, particularly goalkeeper
Scott Carson who had to gather what looked a straightforward drive from
Stiliyan Petrov at the second attempt just as
Darren Bent was poised to pounce.
It took the Baggies until the 19th minute to threaten, with Mulumbu's curling 25-yarder forcing
Brad Friedel to dive to his left to turn it around the post before
Carlos Vela spurned a glorious opportunity when he chipped over with just the Villa goalkeeper to beat after being threaded through superbly by
Simon Cox.
The second half was a far more entertaining affair and, having seen Scharner spurn one headed opportunity, the Baggies gained a deserved leveller on the hour mark when
Jonas Olsson headed
James Morrison's free-kick back across goal and Odemwingie eventually hooked home from close range.
Suddenly, the momentum was with the home side but the wind was soon taken from their sails when Scharner picked up his second caution for a mindless shirt tug on
Stiliyan Petrov in midfield, having earlier been booked for a poor challenge on
Nigel Reo-Coker.
Inevitably, Villa regained control and it took a fine last-ditch block from Morrison to deny
Gabriel Agbonlahor, while
Scott Carson did well to tip a Downing drive around the post as the Baggies' rearguard held firm.
And Villa paid for their profligacy when with just six minutes left on the clock Cox sent Mulumbu through and he seased past
James Collins before flicking over Friedel despite a despairing lunge from
Ciaran Clark.
REACTION: Hodgson declared his team safe after clinching another three points despite the absence of a number of key players: "It's fantastic to have achieved our major goal of keeping West Brom in the Premier League for successive seasons. We were unfortunately weakened.
"If there was any game where people would have understood if we had lost it would have been this, so to actually have won is very satisfying. We broke a 26-year hoodoo which is very nice too."
On the importance of Odemwingie's goals: "They have been vital. He has done extremely well. I still think he has a margin for improvement. He has scored some spectacular goals and some like Saturday's, which is the most important type of all."
On Scharner's red card: "It was correct. I didn't see the first booking but the second was a counter-attack, he got caught the wrong side, he thinks there was a bit of a tussle but as a coach you half expect the yellow card."
On his players: "I think they have exceeded everyone's expectations. They were on a poor run of form when I arrived, the crowd appeared to be losing patience, so they have probably exceeded their expectations more than mine."
A disappointed McAllister viewed the defeat as a missed opportunity for his side: "I think it was an opportunity to grasp three points away from home against a local rival. We got in front but then we didn't defend the set-piece. When they had a man sent off it was a great chance, we sent on attacking players but then we got done with a sucker punch."
On the need for his attacking players to do more: "We have got to go up a notch. Ashley Young, Stewart Downing and Darren Bent have been in great form for club and country but they have to expect to be paid close attention by the opposition."
On Houllier: "I spoke to Gerard before the game. He is great. I saw him on Friday, he is walking around now. Bearing in mind it is only 10 days since he suffered the illness, he was in great nick."
On the possibility of being pulled back into a survival scrap: "I am still looking up the table. We have nine points to play for. We have Wigan next weekend and it's the only remaining chance we have to do the double over someone this year, which in itself is a disappointment."
WHAT IT MEANS: While the table suggests West Brom still aren't quite safe, the reality is they now are - quite a triumph for Hodgson with three games still to go. The Baggies head coach has worked wonders in his short time at the Hawthorns and his team just don't know when they are beaten. A top-half finish is now a realistic ambition. It would still be a surprise if Villa were dragged back into a relegation fight but McAllister will be keen to win against Wigan next weekend to end any lingering concerns once and for all.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/04/30/west-brom-2-aston-villa-1-youssouf-mulumbu-the-hero-as-baggies/
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