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FULL TIME SUNDERLAND 1-1 ASTON VILLA: What a finish as it looked like Danny Collins had won it again late on but a foul was given and it ends all square which probably a fair result in a cracking encounter.
Sunderland win a corner in the dying seconds as Zat Knight plays it behind. The ball is put into the net by Danny Collins but it is ruled out by the referee unbelievable stuff here.
Grant Leadbitter plays a free kick into the danger area but it is an easy take for Scott Carson.
Daryl Murphy's ball into the box is only cleared to Grant Leadbitter but he cannot get it under control and Villa hack it clear.
We are into the final three minutes of stoppage time here and it is the hosts looking for some more last-gasp glory.
Sunderland are pressing now and it would not be the first time this season they scored in the last minute if they manage to do it again here.
Sunderland break again with Andrew Cole playing in Kenwyne Jones and his effort is blocked by the chest of Martin Laursen.
Andrew Cole plays agreat ball into the box and Grant Leadbitter gets his head to the ball but Scott Carson grabs it out of the air.
Gareth Barry puts the ball into the area and Darren Ward cannot prevent conceding a corner. It is played in and the hosts again clear this time through Paul McShane.
Dwight Yorke is half a yard too late as he slides in on Ashley Young and is deservedly booked against his former club.
Roy Keane is looking for a winner here as he brings on striker Andrew Cole for Ross Wallace.
Ashley Young puts the ball into the penalty area from the corner but again Sunderland clear the danger.
Gabriel Agbonlahor goes racing into the area and takes a tumble in under close attention from Paul McShane but nothing except a corner is given.
It is end-to-end here now as Olof Mellberg gets in a timely challenge to prevent Sunderland carving out a scoring chance.
AshleyYoung is the latest man in the book here for Villa as he drags back Grant Leadbitter as he looked to break up field.
Ashley Young goes tearing down th wing again with Danny Collins conceding another corner which is played in by Gareth Barry. This time Dwight Yorke gets up well to clear.
This is really anybody's game here and it would probably be a fair outcome if the two sides earned a point.
The Black Cats were caught cold there but come forward and Michael Chopra goes to ground in the Villa area straight from the kick off but nothing is awarded.
SUNDERLAND 1-1 ASTON VILLA: SHAUN MALONEY clips his free kick over the wall and into the top corner of the net to equalise.
It looks like Roy Keane's side have managed to weather the worst of the storm Villa have thrown at them but they cannot afford to relax just yet.
Striker Michael Chopra is now into the action in a like for like swap with Anthony Stokes for Sunderland.
Villa keep pressing with Dwight Yorke doing well to get in a timely tackle on Ashley Young who then knocks the ball behind for a goal kick to Sunderland.
Craig Gardner is off for Villa with Shaun Maloney the man coming on to replace the midfielder.
Gareth Barry plays the ball through for Gabriel Agbonlahor but Darren Ward wastes no time in racing out to gather the ball before the Villa man can get there.
Gareth Barry plays the ball out to Ashley Young who crosses into the middle for John Carew but the Norwegian was flagged offside as Villa continue to look dangerous.
Sunderland get a corner played in by the sub Grant Leadbitter but Scott Carson gets up well to gather for Villa.
Grant Leadbitter is coming on for Sunderland to bring some creativity to the side in place of the hard working Dickson Etuhu.
Dean Whitehead concedes another corner as Villa turn the screw again but this time a foul in the area sees the hosts handed a timely free kick.
Gareth Barry plays a free kick into the area and Daryl Murphy concedes a corner. Gareth Barry plays in the flag kick and Darren Ward does well to punch it away.
Another great 10 minutes to start this half excellent stuff from both sides especially Villa who are desperate to get back into the game.
Sunderland go and win a corner kick after surviving the early pressure in this half but Villa manage to clear the danger.
Sunderland survive again and this time Craig Gardner is a fraction away from converting a low ball right across the face of their area.
Villa are piling the pressure again here as Gareth Barry gets a dangerous ball into the area but this time Darren Ward clutches the ball out of the air off John Carew's head.
Darren Ward misses a cross into the Sunderland area and the ball is somehow cleared off the line by Danny Higginbotham from John carew in a huge scramble in the area ss the hosts survive.
Ross Wallace gets room for himself and lashes a left-foot shot at goal but Scott Carson does well to make the save but strangely the goal kick is awarded.
There has been no changes at the break by either manager as Villa win an early free kick which Paul McShane gets up well to head clear for the hosts.
The second half is up and running and both sides will fancy their chances after a lively first period, but the Black Cats will look to maintain the lead handed to them by Danny Higginbotham.
HALF-TIME SUNDERLAND 1-0 ASTON VILLA: An entertaining opening half comes to an end here as Sunderland lead but Villa have enjoyed a lot of possession so it is still on a knife-edge in the second half.
Kenwyne Jones fires in an effort which flashes across the face of goal and out off a Villa man as the Black Cats almost double their lead at the death.
The corner is played in from the other side and this time Anthony Stokes manages to clear for the hosts and it looks like Sunderland will get to the break ahead.
Villa win a corner in first half stoppage time. Gareth Barry plays the ball into the middle and Dean Whitehead heads it out for a needless corner.
Kenwyne Jones gets the ball off Anthony Stokes and his attempt at a return is blocked out by the Villa defence as Sunderland gain the upper hand again.
It looks like it's 2-0 here as Scott Carson saves from Kenwyne Jones and Anthony Stokes finally puts away the rebound but an offside flag denies the hosts.
Still not too many chances at either end since the early home goal but Villa have had the edge as this half has progressed.
Villa are on top again and Kenwyne Jones slices his clearance in the area but Sunderland do manage to clear but more heart-stoping stuff for the home fans.
John Carew wins another corner for Villa off Danny Collins so Gareth Barry takes the spot kick. Martin Laursen gets his head to the ball but knocks it behind for a goal kick.
Gareth Barry gets some room for a shot but the effort is blocked by Paul McShane amid appeals for handball by the Villa fans but nothing is given.
This is Villa's best spell of the game so far as they keep pressing forward, but they have not yet really fashioned out a decent scoring chance.
Villa are on top here as they pile the pressure on the Sunderland defence but it ends with Craig Gardner s snap-shot being easily held by Darren Ward.
Craig Gardner puts another good cross which is put behind for a corner. It is played in by Gareth Barry but Sunderland finally get the ball clear.
Villa break up the other end and Wilfred Bouma tries a speculative effort which goes well wide of the mark.
Kenwyne Jones gets up high in the Villa area but cannot guide his header towards the goal and it goes over the top.
Villa are just creeping into this game now with Ashley Young proving to be a key man out on the wing up against DeanWhitehead who is already on a yellow card.
Ashley Young gets past Dean Whitehead out wide and puts his ball into the middle but Sunderland manage to clear their lines under pressure.
The game is held up just for a moment as the lively Dean Whitehead needs some treatment after going over awkwardly.
Sunderland try and muster up another attack but a ball int the area is cleared by Zat Knight ho looked a little off balance as he went for it.
The resulting free kick is played in to Gabriel Agbonlahor who shoots just wide but the offside flag was up against the Villa man.
Dean Whitehead is booked for a blatant foul on Ashley Young just as Sunderland looked like getting a good break on.
The corner is whipped into the middle again but this time Dwight Yorke gets up to clear.
Villa win another free kick in a decent position out wide which is played in by Gareth Barry but cleared out for a corner by Kenwyne Jones.
It has been a great opening 15 minutes in this game and I would not rule out Villa as they have been bang in form on the road in recent weeks.
Dean Whitehead concedes a corner but Gareth Barry's flag kick is cleared away by Sunderland as Villa try and hit back.
Sunderland are rewarded for that bright and committed opening and the home fans are treated to an early goal as opposed to the usual late antics.
SUNDERLAND 1-0 ASTON VILLA: DANNY HIGGINBOTHAM is left unmarked in the Villa area to head a Ross Wallace corner into the net past Scott Carson
Ross Wallace swings a free kick into the Villa area from the left and it gets a touch off a defender and goes out for a corner.
Olof Mellberg wins the tackle on Daryl Murphy but concedes a corner which is taken by Ross Wallace and Danny Higginbotham's header goes behind for a goal kick.
Darren Ward takes the resulting free kick but his long ball into the area but Zat Knight is on hand to win the header and clear for Villa.
Dwight Yorke is down in the area after winning a header in his own area before being clattered by Craig Gardner who is shown a yellow card.
It does not look like Villa's players are going to get any time on the ball in this game as Sunderland are running around like men possessed.
The atmosphere is bouncing here in a lively opening from both teams with Dickson Etuhu putting his foot into the tackles in midfiedl.
Kenwyne Jones tries to make an early run at the Villa goal but the powerful Zat Knight comes across to snuff out the threat of the big striker.
We are up and running at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland look for points to get out of the relegation zone and Villa aim to push on towards the European places after last week's blip against Pompey.
Aston Villa starting XI: Carson, Mellberg, Laursen, Knight, Bouma, Gardner, Reo-Coker, Barry, Young, Agbonlahor, Carew.
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill keeps faith with the 11 men who started in the 3-1 home defeat against Portsmouth last weekend as his side look for a fourth successive league win on the road.
Sunderland starting XI: Ward, Whitehead, McShane, Higginbotham, Collins, Wallace, Etuhu, Yorke, Murphy, Jones, Stokes.
Dwight Yorke and Daryl Murphy are also in Roy Keanes starting line up with Greg Halford, Grant Leadbitter and the suspended Liam Miller making way.
The Irishman, who snatched three points late on against Derby a fortnight ago, is named alongside Kenwyne Jones in attack as the Black Cats attempt to haul themselves out of the relegation zone.
Anthony Stokes returns to the Sunderland starting XI for the vital Premier League clash with Aston Villa at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland host Aston Villa on Saturday having slipped back into the relegation zone on the back of last weekend's defeat at Chelsea. The Black Cats were comfortably beaten 2-0 at Stamford Bridge and also had Liam Miller sent off for a late altercation with Claudio Pizarro. That second defeat in three games left Roy Keane's side in 18th place and back among the rest of the relegation candidates. However, with just four points separating the Wearsiders from Reading in 12th position in the table, this is hardly the time to press the panic button. In fact, Sunderland are unbeaten in their last three home games and will take heart from their last outing at the Stadium of Light when they edged out rock-bottom Derby County 1-0. Keane is also starting to see some light at the end of the long injury tunnel which has blighted the first third of the season as Kieran Richardson (back) and Russell Anderson (ankle) returned to training this week after long-term absences. Dwight Yorke could return to the starting line-up this weekend in place of the suspended Miller, while £9million Scotland keeper Craig Gordon may replace Darren Ward after being taken out of the firing line in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Aston Villa's charge up the table has come to a grinding halt. Martin O'Neill's side had risen up to the fringes of the top four on the back of a four-match winning run before suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of Arsenal and Portsmouth. Last weekend they were swept aside 3-1 by Pompey at Villa Park in a result which saw them slip down to eighth place in the table. It was a disappointing day for newly-crowned manager and player of the month O'Neill and Gabriel Agbonlahor and provided a wake-up call for any Villa fans thinking a UEFA Cup spot was a given this season. "This defeat is a body blow because confidence was high but we have to bounce back from this setback," admitted O'Neill. Stiliyan Petrov will again miss out with a hamstring problem which means Craig Gardner is likely to deputise.
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Sunderland were robbed of a dramatic winner against Aston Villa to leave them embroiled in a battle to preserve their Premier League status. Late goal specialists, the Black Cats looked to have conjured up another last-gasp winner at the Stadium of Light. But intervention by match official Steve Bennett saw the late header by Danny Collins ruled out for foul on Villa keeper Scott Carson. A draw was probably a fair result on the balance of play, but that won't appease irate Sunderland manager Roy Keane, who labelled Bennett's decision a "disgrace". The hosts got off to a great start when central defender Danny Higginbotham got up well to head past Carson with just ten minutes on the clock - rising to power in Ross Wallace's corner. But they could not get that elusive second goal and Villa soon began to ask questions of the home defence. The visitors went on the offensive, but Sunderland defended stoutly to prevent them from finding their finishing touch in a first half where clear-cut goalmouth incidents were at a premium. Villa came out after the break rejuvenated and in the opening five minutes tore into the Wearsiders. Again the hosts stood firm in the face of intense pressure and must have thought they had weathered the storm after that initial burst. Villa though kept coming forward and were rewarded for their efforts when Sunderland handed them a way back into the clash. Substitute Michael Chopra unnecessarily surrendered possession in the middle of the park and defender Paul McShane felled Shaun Maloney as he tried to win back the ball on the edge of the area. Up stepped Maloney to curl in a terrific free-kick which left Black Cats keeper Darren Ward rooted to the spot and put Villa back on level terms. The goal should have given the visitors the impetus to go on and win it, but in truth both sides went in search of all three points. And it looked like it was Sunderland that had nicked them when Collins got on the end of Grant Leadbitter's corner. But as the Sunderland players celebrated, the home fans could only look on in horror and disbelief as Bennett blew for the foul. There were suggestions that Collins had been penalised for a flailing arm, but Keane was adamant that his side deserved the spoils.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
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