An all too typical last minute goal from Paul Scharner set up an extremely nervous four added minutes, but it wasn’t enough to cancel out Stewart Downing’s first half opener or what turned out to be the winning goal from Emile Heskey 10 minutes earlier. Not a classic performance, but spirited and determined at times, it’s an important three points, something to build on and hopefully a threshold game.

Houllier made the necessary, but not straightforward decision to drop Richard Dunne, bringing Carlos Cuellar into a back line that also featured Eric Lichaj making his first Premier League start in place of Luke Young. Ashley Young wore the armband and it seemed to suit him, he never stopped running throughout the game, despite being singled out for rough treatment at times.

I’ll do a full match report a little later, but for now the highlights have to include the return of Emile Heskey; he provided the aerial presence and ability to be a focal point that we’ve been missing for so many games lately. The Cueller/Collins partnership inspired so much more confidence at the back, they won everything in the air against a West Brom side winning many corners & a strange routine from the training ground.

Eric Lichaj wasn’t completely faultless, but for someone making their first start as this level, he continued to show exactly why we have high hopes for him and, more importantly, on the few occasions he was beaten, Carlos Cuellar was there. And if Cuellar was beaten, Collins was there. Everyone at the back were more in tune with each other.

Friedel seemed more commanding in his box, there was an emphatic punched clearance early in the first half, the likes of which has also been missing lately. The only disappointment at the back was Stephen Warnock who continues to look a shadow of his former self, but did have a much better time in the 2nd half.

In the middle, Jonathon Hogg had another impressive, combative performance, his reading of the game is actually very good. I’m not sure that central midfield is the best place for Barry Bannan, he seemed a little lost today, but kept battling throughout.

The game was really won by the two wingers; Albrighton and Downing both giving their opposing full backs a torrid time. Albrighton was the provider of both goals, the first from the right, flicked on by Ash for Downing to stick in at the far post. The other coming from the left, a delivery so sweetly curled into the far post that Emile Heskey didn’t need to do much but be in the way and that’s what he did, seemingly sending the ball in with shoulder.

Nigel Reo-Coker was a surprise inclusion on the bench and even bigger surprise to see him get on the pitch in place of Bannan for the last 20 minutes of so and his presence in the middle certainly added a little more beef as West Brom looked to get themselves on the score sheet. A little concerning to see Villa apparently willing to let West Brom play with so much space, looking a little nervous at times if truth be told, but it worked out.

In fairness, Reo-Coker might have felt he could have done better on West Brom’s goal, standing at the near post for their 13th corner, he allowed himself to drift toward the middle of the goal and wasn’t able to recover when Scharner directed his header directly where he should have been standing.

Nervous wouldn’t begin to describe the four minutes of injury time, Jerome Thomas blasting over shortly after Scharner’s goal didn’t bode well, but Villa did enough to hold on and grab the points. Relief visible wherever you looked.

Topics to explore in future posts will probably include the frustrating wastefulness of possession in promising positions through poor execution and/or plain bad decision making. Stephen Ireland’s absence from the 18 man squad – I believe he was fit and available – probably tells us all we need to know about Houllier’s current opinion of the player.

Hopefully the team and management can get a few monkeys off their back now and look toward Wigan and another three points that will be vital nuts to store away for a brutal looking Winter. Lots of work to do still, but little chinks of light can be seen if you look hard enough.

After a tough week, this was just the tonic.