Sheff Utd 2-2 Aston Villa: Baros
earns point
Milan Baros ended an eight-month goal drought for Aston Villa as
Martin O'Neill's side denied Sheffield United a third successive
Premiership victory.
Stiliyan Petrov opened the scoring after just 76 seconds with his
first goal for Villa following his £6.5million move from Celtic in
August.
However, Stephen Quinn and Danny Webber hit back for the Blades in
a rousing second half at Bramall Lane, only for Baros to clinch
Villa's seventh draw in nine away games this season.
This was another superb second-half show as they struggled in the
opening 45 minutes, in particular as Petrov was in a class of his
own.
The Bulgaria international lifted Villa from the off, firing past
Paddy Kenny from 20 yards after an initial effort from Chris Sutton
had rebounded into his path off the heel of Baros.
Rob Hulse hooked a volley narrowly wide three minutes later, but
what followed was stilted and unconvincing from both sides until
the 27th minute.
Phil Jagielka, who had curled a free-kick into the wall shortly
beforehand, unleashed a 25-yard effort that hit the head of Petrov,
landing on top of the net of relieved goalkeeper Stuart
Taylor.
That was as close as Taylor came in the opening half to exerting
himself as United pumped balls into the area, but failed to test
the 26-year-old as his defence commanded the area.
Instead, it was the visitors who came closest to adding to the
scoreline, initially in the 28th minute.
From a free-kick midway inside the Blades' half, Petrov picked out
Sutton at the far post for a powerful header back over Kenny that
hit the crossbar.
On the half hour Kenny then brilliantly kept his side in the game
with a point-blank save from Gary Cahill after Gabriel Agbonlahor
had flicked a Petrov cross into his path inside the six-yard
box.
Cahill was swiftly onto the rebound, but his shot on the turn was
blocked by Kenny's legs before United finally cleared their
lines.
United should have hit back three minutes from the interval, with
Liam Ridgewell deflecting a low Keith Gillespie cross into the path
of Hulse, but the striker could only dig out a 17-yard shot that
finished wide of the left-hand post.
It was all change after the break, though, with a fired-up United
on level terms in the 50th minute courtesy of 20-year-old Quinn,
making only his second Premiership appearance.
Right-back Rob Kozluk's long throw to the edge of the six-yard box
was inadvertently back flicked into the path of Quinn who finished
with a right-foot sidefoot volley from 10 yards.
It was then all the Blades, with Taylor clawing down on his line a
powerful six-yard header from Hulse before Webber scored his second
of the season to put the home side in front in the 64th
minute.
From a short corner by Quinn, Gillespie delivered a cross to the
far post where captain Chris Morgan nodded the ball down into the
six-yard box.
With his back to goal, Webber delicately flicked the ball into the
roof of the net with the outside of his right boot as a static
Villa defence stood and watched.
But the lead lasted just 44 seconds as the Blades rearguard proved
equally inept in allowing Sutton to knock down a chipped ball from
Steve Davis for Baros to blast home from six yards.
It was his first goal at club level since a double in a 3-1 win
over Birmingham in April.
From a corner, Quinn drilled in a 16-yard left-foot volley that
forced a fine blocking save from Taylor.
Petrov then almost stole it injury time with a 30-yard free-kick
that took a slight deflection past the right-hand post.
