A late equaliser from Kenwyne Jones and an injury time winner from Robert Huth cast Stewart Downing’s fine first half header and all the good work Villa had put in during this game to distant memory. It was a lesson in how to lose all sense of conviction in the latter stages of a game, having failed to capitalize on some excellent work earlier on, to lose a match that should have been in the bag.

More importantly, once again, a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of slip ups around us and jump into a lofty position in the table has been spurned. A win would have placed us third, a draw in fifth, instead we occupy seventh.

I’ve thought of many ways to describe it, but I’m coming up short to be honest. I don’t think it was quite capitulation, there was a great deal of good fortune about Stoke’s goals, but toward the end of the game we looked like a side short on ideas and no one really wanted to have the ball very much. In that sense, I suppose, we invited our own demise.

The opening 20 or 30 minutes were cagey with Stoke showing they were dangerous on the break, Villa not really turning possession into anything tangible in the final third, Ash and Gabby both guilty of poor touches to send anything of promise to an early grave.

In the final 15 minutes of the half though, as Gabby probed wider and turned provider, he crafted a beautiful cross from the right with his left foot, finding Downing pulling away from the last man and able to steer the ball past Sorensen and on to the foot of the post and in. Another inch perfect cross, from the left this time, found Ashley Young’s superb run into the middle and how he missed, only he can tell us. A turning point perhaps.

Despite another brilliant showing from Marc Albrighton and several good performances – Reo-Coker was instrumental in winning the midfield battle and played a prominent role in setting up the opportunity for the first goal – it was a case of letting themselves down toward the end.

Maybe Richard Dunne will want to have a look at the video and explain how Kenwyne Jones worked the space for a free header. There’s many if’s and but’s about Huth’s winner, but when there wasn’t a single Villa player prepared to grab the game by the scruff of the neck when they were scrutinized for the final passage of the game, they simply handed the initiative to their opponents who demonstrated how to be ruthless when it counts.

I suppose a lot will be made in many match reports about Tony Pullis emerging for the second half to guide his team to an unlikely victory despite the death of his mother initially keeping him from the touchline. I suppose it’s extremely poetic and a great story, but Villa should have more or less had the game wrapped up in the first 45 minutes. That wasn’t the case and there’s no one else to blame.

Looks like Gerard Houllier cannot get here quickly enough and it’s not how to play football he’ll need to focus on, that was quite superb at times, it’s how to win at football.