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Post by Premier League News on Feb 21, 2015 17:38:44 GMT
Aston Villa 1 - 2 StokeAston Villa: Scott Sinclair 20
Stoke: Mame Diouf 45, Victor Moses 90 +2:42 PenConsidering the bounce factor of Tim Sherwood’s arrival this week, a draw at home to Stoke City would have felt like an opportunity missed for Aston Villa. So to concede a penalty and lose the match, and their captain, in stoppage time just felt like double the blow for the new manager and his club’s supporters. Victor Moses won and converted the penalty as he nicked the ball away just as Ron Vlaar, booked moments before, slid in and, with the Villa captain running down the players’ tunnel following his red card, Brad Guzan dived the wrong way as Stoke consolidated their position as the Midlands’ top-placed side. Scott Sinclair, having booked Villa’s fifth-round date with West Bromwich Albion following last week’s clinching goal in the FA Cup win over Leicester City, got Sherwood’s reign off to the best possible start with a fine header in the 20th minute. But Villa wore themselves out with their non-stop running approach and Mame Diouf’s equaliser in first-half added time took the wind out their sails. Villa have now lost six successive league games and Sherwood will need to instil a little bit more composure and guile if they are to play their way back into form. Whether this performance was any better than those under Paul Lambert, dismissed 11 days ago, is a moot point. In the build-up to the Villa goal, Phil Bardsley and Sinclair had both fallen to the ground from an aerial collision after the initial corner. But with the full-back still injured, Sinclair bounced back up and, when Fabian Delph retrieved the ball on the far side and dispatched a delicious cross to the near post, the winger on loan from Manchester City glanced a delicate but decisive header on beyond Asmir Begovic into the corner of the net. It was Sinclair’s first goal in the Premier League since August 2012 but, coming on the back of his FA Cup effort, the former England Under-21 flier certainly looks determined to make his mark at Villa Park. With Carles Gil buzzing enthusiastically on the other wing, few would doubt Lambert’s final two Villa signings possess quality. Villa lacked nothing for energy during this lively opening and one noticeable tactical innovation was that, as Stoke started to dominate midfield, Gabriel Agbonlahor sprung back from his station up top in Sherwood’s 4-4-2 shape to try to nick the ball off opponents homing in on goal. Sinclair also managed to use his athleticism to similar purpose. But Stoke, with several of their walking wounded back from injury lay-offs, dominated play as half-time approached and a minute before the interval Diouf headed in the equaliser, his seventh goal of the season, from Stephen Ireland’s expert cross after Jonathan Walters’ lay-off. It was a fair reflection of play but would have redirected Sherwood’s half-time team-talk. The new manager had guaranteed the Villa faithful would have 100 per cent commitment from his players, and they continued to offer this in the second half, but the trouble was the lack of craft. When Gil was withdrawn and Andreas Weimann came on, all Villa’s efforts were focused on trying and running as hard as possible. This is laudable to an extent, but Stoke were able to play round them with ease at times, with Ireland springing from midfield with invention and a deft touch. Clear goalscoring opportunities were few and far between in the second period until the final 10 minutes. Christian Benteke and Agbonlahor had headers deflected over from Delph’s crosses as Villa Park roared its approval for a big effort. But they always looked vulnerable in the centre of midfield and Stoke were able to break through to deadly effect right at the end. Peter Lansley, Guardian
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