Young at heart of Villa win over Toffees

29 August 2010 18:04
uke Young scored his first goal for nearly two years to earn Aston Villa a 1-0 win over Everton in Sunday's enthralling clash at Villa Park.[LNB] The former England defender, who rejected a move to Liverpool earlier this summer, dealt a blow to the other side of Merseyside with his ninth-minute winner.[LNB]It was Villa's second league win under caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald as they bounced back from their Europa League exit at the hands of Rapid Vienna.[LNB]Villa had leaked nine goals in their previous two matches, include a 6-0 mauling by Newcastle at St James' Park.[LNB]But they managed to hold on for a clean sheet despite being on the defensive for lengthy periods.[LNB]Everton dominated for lengthy spells in terms of possession with Mikel Arteta pulling the strings in the middle of the park.[LNB]But they lacked a cutting edge until Louis Saha was brought on early in the second period.[LNB]It means Everton are still searching for their first win of the campaign and have collected only one point from a possible nine.[LNB]Ashley Young posed the biggest threat for Villa while Nigel Reo-Coker - a late replacement for Stephen Ireland after he was injured in the warm-up - made his presence felt in midfield.[LNB]The visitors, searching for their first league win of the campaign, started the brighter of the two teams.[LNB]But after nine minutes Villa took the lead through Luke Young's second goal for the club since his move from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2008.[LNB]John Carew headed the ball into the path of Ashley Young who held the ball up before releasing Luke Young. He kept his nerve before driving a left-footed shot wide of Tim Howard.[LNB]Everton tried to retaliate and Dunne was booked for body checking Jermaine Beckford 25 yards from the Villa goal.[LNB]Arteta curled the free-kick over the defensive wall although Brad Friedel made a comfortable enough save.[LNB]But the veteran keeper was beaten in the 18th minute by Pienaar's curling effort from the edge of the box which crashed against the crossbar.[LNB]Marouane Fellaini got on the end of a hanging centre from Baines but his header lacked direction or power.[LNB]Everton recovered well from their setback and started to enjoy the lion's share of possession with Baines and Hibbert getting forward to good effect.[LNB]Everton forced six corners by the half-hour mark compared to Villa's one.[LNB]Marc Albrighton tried his luck from 20 yards out and his shot cannoned off Sylvain Distin for a corner.[LNB]Villa appealed in vain for a penalty in injury-time after a challenge from behind on Albrighton by Pienaar following a darting run.[LNB]Villa began the second half in a more positive vein and Carew was not far off target with a glancing header from Ashley Young's right-wing cross.[LNB]Ashley Young then made a probing run forward in a quickfire counter-attack before striking his 20-yard effort just past the post.[LNB]David Moyes made his first substitution after 56 minutes with the ineffective Beckford replaced by Saha.[LNB]Tim Howard made a fine double save to keep out Carew's cross shot and the follow-up attempt from Ashley Young.[LNB]At the other end Friedel also excelled to keep out Saha's volley while Jack Rodwell's header flashed wide from a Arteta free-kick.[LNB]Collins and Albrighton were booked in quick succession for fouls on Cahill and Baines respectively.[LNB]Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor came on in place of Carew after 68 minutes while Rodwell made way for Seamus Coleman two minutes later.[LNB]Albrighton should have made it 2-0 but shot over with the goal at his mercy after Howard had parried Ashley Young's shot.[LNB]Villa skipper Stiliyan Petrov was yellow carded for a challenge on Pienaar and Moyes brought off Hibbert for John Heitinga with 10 minutes remaining.[LNB]Phil Jagielka headed over from Arteta's corner as Villa held on desperately in the closing stages.

Source: Team_Talk