Ferguson: We're closing the gap on Villa

02 December 2010 10:00
Barry Ferguson believes Birmingham are closing the gap on Aston Villa after overcoming their local rivals to reach the Carling Cup semi-finals for the first time in nine years. A late goal from Serbian striker Nikola Zigic earned City their first win over Villa for five and a half years after Gabriel Agbonlahor had cancelled out Sebastian Larsson's penalty. It has secured Blues a two-legged tie with West Ham - and their former owners David Sullivan and David Gold. Ferguson, who gave another exemplary display in midfield, said: "I'm just delighted we've won, we're in a semi-final now, and you never know what might happen now. "We've shown that mentality all season where the guys never lie down and thankfully we got the victory. Villa had a few chances but we always felt confident we could get one. "The manager is building a new team, brought a few new players in in summer, and they're settling in really well. I can see we're starting to close the gap on Aston Villa, certainly."

Source: PA