Stoke City 0 Aston Villa 0: Pulis plays down Tuncay's temper tantrum

The sight of Tuncay Sanli storming off for an early exit showed why the season cannot end soon enough for Tony Pulis. Stoke look tired. Their manager knows it and has talked of facing more problems in his second year in the Barclays Premier League than he did first time around. Furious: Tuncay (right) was unhappy with boss Tony Pulis after being substitutedMATCH STATSSTOKE CITY (4-4-2): Sorensen 6; Huth 6, Higginbotham 6,Ab Faye 7, D Collins 6; Delap 7, Whelan 6, Whitehead 6, Etherington 6;Sidibe 5 (Kitson 54min, 5), Tuncay 5 (Fuller 53, 7). ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): Friedel 7; Cuellar 6, Collins 8, Dunne 7,Warnock 6; Young 7, Milner 6, Petrov 7, Downing 5; Heskey 6, Carew 6(Agbonlahor 77, 6).Booked: Cuellar, Milner, Warnock, Dunne. Man of the match: James Collins.Referee: Kevin Friend.Although his team are just about safe, there are known to have been issues with several senior players and here was evidence of another fall-out as Turkey striker Tuncay responded to being replaced by offering team-mate Ricardo Fuller an exaggerated handshake, ignoring Pulis and heading for the dressing-room with a dismissive flick of the arm in his manager's direction. Pulis said: 'I don't have to justify my substitutions to Tuncay, oranybody else. I do it because I feel it's right for the team. 'It's nothing personal. He doesn't like being brought off, which isfine. But I just thought he looked a bit flat, and reputations make nodifference to me.' Aston Villa's season is still very much alive.With tomorrow's trip to Wigan followed by a home game against Wolves,there is every chance they will finish fourth if Martin O'Neill can putan end to his record of havingnever won a Premier League game with Villa in March.  Stoke City 0 Aston Villa 0: March madness goes on for O'Neill Patrick Collins: So football needs more English managers? Tell that to the WI Graham Poll: Eight horror tackles.but only one ref gave right punishment Stoke star Tuncay set to take ex-club Boro to court over unpaid fees  

Source: Daily_Mail