Dare I suggest that we can concentrate on the league now? No? Didn’t think so. Nevertheless, we are out of the Carling Cup thanks to a 2-0 loss at home to Bolton in what, by all accounts, was an utterly dismal performance.
Chris Eagles picked up on a Marc Albrighton mistake to score a screamer from 20 yards. Gael Kakuta picked hit a shot on the turn from the edge of the box and beat Shay Given in the bottom corner.
Alex
Bolton come to Villa Park for the 3rd round of the Carling Cup, Alex McLeish has fielded a very strong side and Owen Coyle is able to hand Stuart Holden his first appearance since his knee injury at the tail end of last season.
Aston Villa
Bolton
1
Shay Given
1
Adam Bogdan
2
Alan Hutton
2
Gretar Rafn Steinsson
5
Richard Dunne
5
Gary Cahill
6
James Collins
31
David Wheater
3
Stephen Warnock
11
Ricardo Gardner
19
Stiliyan Petrov
7
Chris Eagles
25
Barry Bannan
6
Fabrice Muamba
7
Stephen Ireland
8
Stuart Holden
12
Marc Albrighton
21
Darren Pratley
14
Nathan Delfouneso
28
Gael Kakuta
11
Gabriel Agbonlahor
24
David Ngog
Subs
Subs
22
Brad Guzan
22
Jussi Jaaskelainen
23
Habib Beye
4
Paul Robinson
34
Shane Lowry
20
Robbie Blake
16
Fabian Delph
16
Mark Davies
38
Gary Gardner
10
Martin Petrov
10
Charles N’Zogbia
14
Kevin Davies
Graham
Just over 21,000 saw Villa earn their place in the 3rd round of the Carling Cup the hard way thanks to a late goal each from Eric Lichaj (80′) and Nathan Delfouneso (88′) from the bench.
It’s a game I’ve yet to see anything from first hand, but it sounds like we dominated the game pretty much in the manner you’d expect over a struggling League Two side, but were frustrated by some fine goalkeeping from 20 year old loanee, David
Alex McLeish has rung the changes for this Carling Cup clash, but retained a strong side blending youth and experience.
Aston Villa
Hereford
22
Brad Guzan
28
David Cornell
31
Chris Herd
2
Ryan Green
5
Richard Dunne
5
Michael Townsend
21
Ciaran Clark
3
Joe Heath
30
Eric Lichaj
16
Daniel Williams
17
Jean II Makoun
17
Joe Colbeck
25
Barry Bannan
8
Nicky Featherstone
7
Stephen Ireland
14
James Mcquiokin
12
Marc Albrighton
4
Harry Pell
10
Charles N’Zogbia
10
Delroy Facey
9
Darren Bent
7
Stuart Fleetwood
Subs
Subs
33
Andy Marshall
38
Russell Hoult
32
Nathan Baker
30
Tommy Johnson
23
Habib Beye
19
Kyle McCarthy
34
Shane Lowry
11
Kenny Lunt
28
Jonathan Hogg
31
Lewis Feeley
26
Andreas Weimann
9
Yoann Arquin
14
Nathan Delfouneso
32
Nathan Perkins
An early goal from the spot and a late goal via a deflection was enough to cancel Gabby Agbonlahor’s first half leveller and send us out of the Carling Cup, triggering disgraceful scenes as City fans invaded the pitch to taunt Villa fans locked in the away section.
The fact we dominated the game is neither here nor there, derby games are a different kettle of fish and it all comes down to failing to capitalise on opportunities and inexplicably slack
Local derby, 120th competitive meeting as it happens. Cup game. Mid-week. Under the floodlights. Only a fool would try to predict the outcome of one these; all bets are off and anything can happen. McLeish has called for a hostile atmosphere and described the reputation of the City fans as being “volatile but not in a nasty way”, whatever that might mean.
Meanwhile, Gérard Houllier has appealed for calm: “It’s a game which is on TV, and it’s a derby,
I don’t know how long it will be up, but there’s 14 minutes of highlights from the Carling Cup 4th round victory over Burnley in the video at the foot of this post.
Downing’s extra time goal was a worthy winner (it certainly made up for his atrocious earlier effort), a stinging effort from the edge of the box, and Heskey’s opener was an example to Reo-Coker on how to put those square balls away, but question marks remain.
With
It took an extra time winner from Stewart Downing to settle this one after Clarke Carlisle cancelled out Emile Heskey’s late opener, but it was a costly game for Marc Albrighton who will be suspended for the Birmingham derby game after being sent off during extra time.
Not a game I saw or even heard, but clearly another game where we struggled to find the net. Maybe not surprising when you start without any recognised strikers, but Ashley Young, Stephen
Aston Villa
1
Brad Friedel
30
Eric Lichaj
24
Carlos Cuellar
21
Ciaran Clark
23
Habib Beye
4
Steve Sidwell
20
Nigel Reo-Coker
12
Marc Albrighton
25
Barry Bannan
7
Ashley Young
9
Stephen Ireland
Subs
6
Stewart Downing
35
Daniel Johnson
14
Nathan Delfouneso
18
Emile Heskey
22
Brad Guzan
29
James Collins
50
Jonathan Hogg
Burnley
1
Lee Grant
2
Graham Alexander
3
Daniel Fox
4
Michael Duff
5
Clarke Carlisle
18
Leon Cort
8
Dean Marney
10
Martin Paterson
14
Tyrone Mears
19
Jay Rodriguez
22
Ross Wallace
Subs
9
Chris Iwelumo
11
Wade Elliott
12
Brian Jensen
15
David Edgar
21
Andre Bikey
24
Brian Easton
30
Steven Thompson
In a late change, John Carew pulled out during the warm-up, Stephen Ireland replaced him in the starting XI and Daniel Johnson (academy player) will sit on the bench.