When Shay Given took a goal kick in the dying seconds of the game, the camera panned on to a group of Villa fans that had stayed to the end. The commentator called the expressions on the young Villans as “unbridled joy”. But, if the fans were anything like me, then they were experiencing unbridled relief.
Villa deserved the victory against a somewhat disappointing Fulham, that came to get a point and for 92 minutes looked like they would get it.
Gabby Agbonlahor had asked the Villa fans to get behind the team, but with Villa’s start, he really didn’t need to ask. The work rate from Villa was always going to get the fans up there. Indeed for 20 minutes it was a constant barrage on Fulham’ s goal as Villa harangued Fulham into turnovers and got behind their defence taking 10 shots at goal.
Finally, Villa seemed to run out of steam and Fulham were able to deal with Villa, but used possession only in counter attacks. Villa certainly was the better team in the first half, but Marin Jol mixed things up in the second. He tightened up the midfield, taking off Murphy who had an eye injury from Ireland’s elbow, for Diarra, who broke Villa’s midfield up more effectively. He put 2 players on N’Zogbia because he had too much space in the first half. He instructed the team to move the ball faster in defence and told Dempsey, Dembele and Duff to carry the ball into Villa’s half rather than pass through.
The result was a more balanced game and Fulham’s defence was able rest and could control things better. It looked like McLeish had no ideas as Villa just tried the same things over with the same results. Finally, with 20 minutes left, he made a brave change. N’Zogbia had been given no time on the ball in the second half and had escaped his markers just once in the second half. He came off and young forward Weimann came on. The obvious thought was that with two forwards on, N’Zogbia would be ideal to feed them the ball, now a play maker was gone. Also, if Zogs was drawing two players, that would give his team mates more space.
Weimann took a few minutes to settle in, getting on the wrong side of opponents, but gradually he found his pockets of space and was very economical on the ball, with some very nice lay offs. Fulham meanwhile were struggling with N’Zogbia gone. They didn’t seem to know how to adapt. They had specific instructions & Villa was getting space again.
With 10 minutes left, AM took Herd off for the more attacking Bannan. He was forced into this move by the fans booing. Villa had won a corner, which they once again successfully worked back to Given. Given got the ball into the Fulham box only for Villa to work it all the way back to him again. This time it was because Petrov had nobody to pass to and Herd and Ireland looked too tired to give him the option.
In the final 2 minutes, Villa kicked a clearance into the Fulham fans. It brought back memories of when Villa fans caused extra injury time to be played at Craven Cottage allowing Fulham to steal a point. Could Villa do it this time?
About this time, Petrov came off and Gardner replaced him. The commentators questioned the move, but it was obvious the veteran had run himself into the ground a fresh pair of young legs might be good against a tired midfield.
It was these three substitutes all products of the Villa academy that grabbed the victory. All three need a goal to maybe kick start their premiership careers and although Weimann’s name ended up on the score sheet, all of them should gain satisfaction from the goal.
Bannan received the ball, faked a cross, cut inside, passed to Gardner, who faked a shot, cut to the left set himself for a blast that Schwarzer could only punch out in front of him. WEIMANN following up as only a true poacher will, flung himself at the ball and headed goalwards, Schwarzer saved again, but the Austrian’s momentum took him past the Aussie and the ball rolled up in his body and somehow he bundled the ball over the line for the ugliest beautiful goal you will ever see.
Alex got this one right. But, he was lucky.
What was the biggest shock of all for me? Alan Hutton was my Man of the match closely followed by Ireland and Petrov.