I’m going to be brief on this one as there’s something more important I want to focus on today and that will be coming up later.

As I mentioned in the preview for this game, the result was more important than the performance and we got the right result. 3 points temporarily move us up to 3rd. With games against Sunderland, Portsmouth, Wigan & Blackburn before Chelsea come to VP for the re-match you have to be optimistic about Villa extending their current 9 league game unbeaten run. Incidently, 9 games equals the best league run since MON has been at Villa, but with far more points than the previous two times. But more on that later.  Done.

Back to this game. WBA once again showed some nice football, as they have all season, but didn’t come away with anything. For the first 15 minutes the game was pretty even and The Baggies were given plenty of space to play, you could even argue that they had the better of the opening. Then on 18 minutes Villa won the first corner of the game and Barry’s in-swinger was cleared off the line twice by WBA. Unfortunately for them the ball ended up back on the right and Barry had all the time in the world to pick out another cross. Curtis Davies forced his way on the end of it and headed in for 1-0. The big defender showed a lot of class by deliberately not celebrating scoring against his old employers.

Villa took control of the game for the rest of the half with some nice chances falling to Ashley Young and Steve Sidwell. The shortly before half time Gabby was released down the left and cut into the box with no one to pass to. He hesitated briefly, looking for support, and then unleashed a speculative effort on goal, he may even have been trying to nutmeg Scott Carson. The shot fell to Carson’s left and as he attempted to save it, the ball ricocheted in off his left hand. This may or may not go down as another OG, but to those who accuse us of being lucky again…. you make your own luck!!

Maybe Villa were guilty of coming out for the second half in complacent fashion. A case of switching off at the back led to Morrison getting one back for West Brom on 49 minutes. Credit should also be given to Roman Bednar who came on for the perpetually ineffectual Luke Moore for the second half and made a nuisance of himself for the rest of the game. He nodded down the long ball that set up Morrison’s chance. I think it’s fair to say that wouldn’t have happened with Moore still on the pitch, he certainly didn’t use his return to VP to show us what we’re missing.

Encouragingly though, the goal had the right effect and Villa briefly turned it up a notch. A couple of minutes later James Milner hit a sweet ball through to Ash on the left, releasing him on goal. Carson was forced to make a decent save.

Within a couple of minutes Ash was again clear on the left and cut the ball back to Sidwell who’s clever touch sent the ball heading for the top corner at the near post. Carson then did what I’ve always criticized him for not being able to do; he pulled off a save that you wouldn’t expect a keeper to make. Massive shame as the build up and goal would have been worthy of many replays.

And that’s more or less it for the rest of the game. Carlos Cuellar came on towards the end which was good to see, along with Laursen playing the whole game. The game finished in typically nervy style. Ash made a last minute sliding tackle in the box which may have given the referee a decision to make. He rightly decided that Young had got the ball first, but we’ve all seen those given. That’s two games running that the winger has almost given away a last minute penalty. Perhaps MON might have a little word in his shell-like.

Next up, a trip to Sunderland who, at the time of writing, are currently losing 1-0 in Middlesbrough.