• Date: Sun 23 September 2007
  • Venue: Villa Park
  • Ref: Probert, L
  • Attendance: 38,747
Aston Villa

Aston Villa

Carew (14)

Agbonlahor (60)

2 - 0

Aston Villa vs Everton

Team Lineups

Aston Villa

Scott Carson
Martin Laursen
Olof Mellberg
Zat Knight
Wilfred Bouma
Gareth Barry
Nigel Reo-Coker
John Carew (Craig Gardner, 53)
Ashley Young, A
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Luke Moore (Marlon Harewood, 80)

Everton

Stefan Wessels
Leighton Baines
Joleon Lescott
Phil Neville
Joseph Yobo
Tony Hibbert
Phil Jagielka
Steven Pienaar
Leon Osman
Victor Anichebe (Ayegbeni Yakubu, 69)
Andrew Johnson, A (James McFadden, 69)


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

Lee Probert blows for full time as Villa begin to build momentum this season but Everton fail to take their chances and are booed off by the travelling faithful.

90

Phil Neville sends in a free kick but Olof Mellberg is there for the home side to defend their clean sheet with a defensive header.

89

Harewood has a chance to open his account for the Villian's with a header from 12 yards but he sends the ball wide of the mark.

87

Everton are still looking for a break through late on in this match and Pienaar has an opportunity just inside the box but his driven shot is caught well by Carson.

86

Hibbert this time whips in a cross for Everton but can only find the head of Laursen who sends the ball back up field.

84

Barry finds himself in space on the right and blasts in a good effort which flashes wide of Wessels' left hand post.

82
Substitution
 

Moore comes off for Villa for Marlon Harewood who makes his home debut.

80

Yakubu tries a shot from 25 yards which falls at the hands of Carson who gathers easily.

77

McFadden takes a throw-in but yet again Everton's attack breaks down and Carson has another goal kick.

75

Bouma goes in on Pienaar and gives away a needless free-kick and the latter gets up once again to take the set-piece.

74

Young sends in a cross once more but his effort is reminisent of much of the play from wingers today as the ball makes its way to safety.

72

Young is caught offside as Villa look to score a third and put the game to bed.

70
Substitution
 

... The second change brings strike partner Anichebe off the field who makes way for Ayegbeni Yakubu.

70
Substitution
 

Everton bring off the lacklustre Johnson who is to be replaced by Scotland's newest hero James McFadden and the Toffee's are going to make another change...

69

Dutch defender Wilfred Bouma wants to get on the scoresheet today, lofting a shot at Wessels' goal but the ball sails over the crossbar.

67

Barry curls in a corner from the left but Wessels charges out of his box and punches clear once again.

66

Pienaar does better this time with his cross from the right but Carson is having an excellent spell between the sticks today and clutches the dropping ball to his chest.

64

Pienaar looks to find one of his strikers with a cross but he'll need to do better than this, his ball into the box sailing over everybody's heads and out into open play.

62
Yellow Card
 

After all of the fouls this afternoon, the first yellow is shown to substitute Agbonlahor for dissent.

60
Goal
 

AGBONLAHOR takes the ball down well from Carson's long ball before turning and blasting the ball past a helpless Wessels.

59

Osman sends in another shot which this time is on target but it lacks power and Carson gathers with ease once again.

57

Osman has acres of room in the penalty area to shape up a volleyed shot but he fires over the bar from 12 yards, Everton are not going to get back into this match if they waste such chances!

56

Everton are really beginning to build a period of pressure here and surely it is only a matter of time before they equalise?

55

Johnson cuts in from the left and just from the edge of the area blasts in a shot but his effort is seen wide by a grateful Carson.

53

Yobo tries a cross from the right but the centre-half's attempt is poor, failing to find a team-mate.

51
Substitution
 

The unjured Carew limps off the field to be replaced by midfielder Craig Gardner as Agbonlahor moves up-front to partner Moore.

50

Carew goes down heavily and lands on his right knee awkwardly and Martin O'Neill decides to make a change.

49

Moore once again is caught offside as the young Englishman tries to join his fellow striker on the scoresheet.

47

Pienaar's cross into the area is headed clear by the solid Laursen who has looked like a rock at the back for the Villian's today.

46

Reo-Coker brings down Pienaar in the latest installment of this midfield clash and the Dutchman gets to his feet to take the free-kick.

Second half
 

The match resumes and Everton once again begin the brightest.

Half time
 

Referee Lee Probert blows up for half-time here at Villa Park.

45

Young bends in a cross looking for the head of Gabriel Agbonlahor whose goal-bound effort is cleared by Tony Hibbert.

45

In what looks to be the last attack of the half Villa win a corner which Young looks to take.

43

Pienaar floors Reo-Coker in what is shaping up to be one of the defining battles of the afternoon.

41

Wessels goal kick lands at the feet of Jagielka but the midfielder struggles once again to set up an attack.

40

Barry sends a long ball upfield looking for the run of Carew but his pass is too heavy and Wessels lets the ball run out for a goal kick.

37

The match begins to break up into yet another spell of midfield battles as Laursen, racing out from the back, trips Johnson and Pienaar looks to set up an attack.

35

Everton look to force a way back into this match as Osman fires in a shot from the right hand side but Carson gets down well to save comfortably.

33

Barry has another opportunity to swing in a corner and this time plumps for the far post but Jagielka is in place to clear the danger.

31

Barry races over to the left to take yet another corner for the home side. He delivers into the centre of the box and Wessels once again can only puch clear.

29

The tenth foul of the afternoon see's Pienaar clash with Reo-Coker but referee Probert keeps his cards in his pocket once again.

27

Young seems to be the man for whom the home side look to get the ball to out on wing but the former Watford man's cross this time fails to impress and sails out of play.

25

Young curls in another dangerous looking corner with his right foot which Wessels can only parry clear.

23

Victor Anichebe shows his frustration, fouling Laursen after clattering ankles with the Villian's defender.

21

The match begins to break down a little as Villa appear to be putting the breaks on this first half.

19

Johnson works the ball out onto the right and into a crossing position but his delivery is also weak and on-loan Scott Carson gathers with ease.

18

Young flashes down the wing and whips in a cross but his ball is over hit a drifts out for a throw-in.

17

Luke Moore drives forward looking to spring the offside trap but this time his pace is his downfall and the linesman raises his flag.

15

Totally against the run of play both Everton players and Toffee's supporters alike look stunned, can the visitors dust themselves down and regroup?

14
Goal
 

JOHN CAREW finds the back of the net, making room in the box before firing low, right footed past Stefan Wessels in the visitors goal.

12

Young's delivery into the box is headed clear by Joleon Lescott as both teams look to build momentum.

11

Steven Pienaar goes in hard on Young and the Villa man wins a free-kick which he dust himself off to take.

9

Gareth Barry enters into the midfield battle, this time bringing down Phil Jagielka but Leighton Baines' free-kick comes to nothing.

8

Knight is putting himself about today, twice going in hard on Andrew Johnson and the Osman in the middle of the park which results in referee Lee Probert giving the Villa man a stern ticking off.

6

Ashley Young has a pop from 30 yards on the volley but his effort sails high over the bar.

4

Knight returns to the field after receiving treatment after his brave intervention.

3

Centre-back Joseph Yobo tries his luck from just outside the area but Zat Knight puts his body on the line and blocks with his face.

2

First corner of the afternoon is awarded to Everton out on the left, Leon Osman runs over to take but Martin Laursen rises well to clear.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Everton travel to Birmingham today knowing that three points could see them finish the day second in the Barclay's Premier League.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Villa host today's match in what could be Curtis Davies' first match for the club, Marlon Harewood is also in the running for his home debut against Everton.

Kickoff
 

The match gets underway in lively fashion with Everton knowing that a victory today could see them into second spot.

Everton XI: Stefan Wessels, Tony Hibbert, Joseph Yobo, Joleon Lescott, Leighton Baines, Steven Pienaar, Phil Jagielka, Phil Neville, Leon Osman, Victor Anichebe, Andrew Johnson.

Aston Villa XI: Scott Carson, Olof Mellberg, Martin Laursen, Zat Knight, Wilfred Bouma,Gabriel Agbonlahor, Nigel Reo-Coker, Gareth Barry, Ashley Young, Luke Moore, John Carew.