Aston Villa Football Club News

• Nickname:The Villains
• Founded:1874
• Manager:Alex McLeish

• Ground:Villa Park
• Capacity:42,584

O'Neill rues defensive lapses

10 Nov 2008 - 08:12:50

Click To Enlarge

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill blamed defensive lapses for Sunday's 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough.

Tuncay capitalised on two bad defensive mistakes by Nicky Shorey and Steve Sidwell to inflict a first home league defeat of the season on the Midlands club.

The Turkey forward's winner came in the 88th minute after he latched on to a loose clearance from Sidwell.

The former Chelsea and Reading midfielder had equalised Tuncay's first-half opener.

"If there are a few minutes left on the board, then if you can't win the game, don't lose it - and we contrived to lose the game," moaned O'Neill.

"The goal was so poor from our viewpoint. It is hard to imagine a softer goal. It is just a lapse in concentration.

"He (Sidwell) will be very disappointed. His overall performance was very encouraging.

"It has been a tough old week and three games in six days is hard I must admit but, having said that, the top teams do it, go and play Champions League midweek, get themselves prepared again for the weekend matches.

"We have been in the Intertoto Cup and UEFA Cup since July. This is where we want to be. It is up to us to try and cope with it."