Walsall 1 Villa 1

Aug 7 2007 By Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

FORGET the lack of transfers, Villa fans had spent the last three days with their imaginations running wild.

They had been ogling Prada, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, and Gucci, while sipping cappuccino as they idled down the Piazza della Scala and the Via Montenapoleone after seeing their side comprehensively outplay Inter Milan on Saturday.

Last night they were quickly back down to earth, back in Woolworths and Poundstretcher, and sipping warm beer at the Gorway Road Cricket Club or The Bell.

The extremes of experiencing Villa Park to the Banks's Stadium, from that memorable win over the Italian champions to being held by a plucky Walsall, was perhaps experienced none more so than by Luke Moore.

Moore has spent so much of this pre-season flying that it was inevitable he would come crashing down to earth. He did so with an injury-time miss that almost beggared belief.

Four goals in two North American games followed by a fine display from the start in the weekend win over Inter had reignited Moore's thirst for the game.

But he somehow managed to spoon a golden chance to make it five-out-of-five for Villa during the summer when over the crossbar in the final minute after Shaun Maloney's free-kick had smacked against the bottom of Clayton Ince's right-hand post and rebounded back to him in front of an empty net.

Defeat would have been a little harsh on the Saddlers, who were comprehensively outplayed by a scratch Villa team - who had made 10 changes from the weekend - for the first 45 minutes but rustled up enough of an appetite to rattle Villa late on.

Villa were far too strong for the home side before the break and should have won the game at a canter.

Maloney served notice of his intentions to play a major part this season with a spirited first half, while Marlon Harewood put up by far his most promising performance with perhaps one eye on John Carew's groin injury, which should nevertheless clear up ahead of the weekend.

French triallist Arsene Menessou played just over an hour but having failed to earn a contract after a brief spell at Ipswich Town, the 19-year-old Le Havre right-back did little to suggest he will get a deal just yet.

Villa took a fifth-minute lead to delight their 3,000 fans when Stephen O'Halloran burst forwards and slipped a pass to Hungarian teenager Zoltan Stieber down the left of the area.

Stieber's low cross was too good for full-back Paul Boertien who was caught flat-footed and deflected it into his own net.

Maloney fired narrowly wide from the edge of the box after receiving Patrik Berger's pass, then the impressive Craig Gardner sent a terrific effort goalwards which was somehow kept out one-handed by Ince.

Harewood almost opened his Villa account but did the hard part in leaving his marker in a heap after a swift turn in the penalty box but then fired into the side-netting.

Ince again did well to acrobatically palm Gardner's right-wing centre over the crossbar, and the goalkeeper was in action soon afterwards in thwarting Stieber, who let fly with a rasping left-foot half-volley from the edge of the box that was tipped over the bar.

Youngster Shane Lowry headed narrowly over as he rose to meet Berger's corner.

The 4,000 home fans were treated to a much improved display after the break with Daniel Fox sending a rising drive inches over the crossbar early on, then a well-placed Gary Cahill headed Martin Butler's shot away from the face of goal with keeper David Bevan stranded.

Bevan palmed Ishmel Demontagnac's superb angled drive away to safety with time running out, but then came the equaliser when Paul Hall met Demontagnac's left-wing cross and slotted confidently home.

Maloney almost restored Villa's lead when he cut in from the left and unleashed a fine right-foot drive that Ince did well to parry.

WALSALL (4-4-2): Ince; Wrack, Dann, Gerrard, Boertien; Sonko (Hall), Sonner, Dobson (McDermott), Fox (Sillah); Butler (Demontagnac), Mooney (Carneiro). Not used: Roper, Bossu, Nicholls, Bradley, Deeney, Smith.
VILLA (4-3-1-2): Bevan; Menessou (Moore 62), Cahill, Lowry, O'Halloran; Gardner (Lund h/t), Osbourne, Stieber; Berger; Harewood, Maloney. Not used: Bouma, Barry, Young, Agbonlahor, Taylor, Petrov, Reo-Coker.