Manchester United v Aston Villa: Bill Howell and Mat Kendrick's live discussion

Apr 5 2009

IT was a game which delivered five goals and incredible tension as Aston Villa came from behind to lead 2-1 before losing 3-2 after letting in two late goals.

The writers who know the club best, our Bill Howell and Mat Kendrick, blogged from the Manchester United press box and discussed events with fans as the game went on.

You can read what happened here:

Manchester United v Aston Villa (04/05/2009)     Close   4:01 Steve Wollaston:  Good afternoon and welcome to our slightly delayed coverage of Manchester United v Aston Villa 4:02 Steve Wollaston:  At Old Trafford for us today are Bill Howell and Mat Kendrick 4:07 Mat K:  Hello there. Big surprise here, Shorey recalled for the first league game since November if memory serves correctly for a baptism of fire at Old Trafford of all places! 4:07 Mat K:  Villa actually playing two specialist full-backs in the correct positions 4:07 Mat K:  .....with makeshift right-back dropping to the bench after his nightmare at Anfield 4:08 Mat K:  Manchester United (4-4-2): Van der Sar; O'Shea. Neville, Evans, Evra; Nani, Fletcher, Carrick, Ronaldo; Giggs, Tevez. Substitutes: Foster, Park, Welbeck, Gibson, Martin, Macheda, Eckersley. Aston Villa (4-4-2): Friedel; L Young, Cuellar, Davies, Shorey; Agbonlahor, Milner, Petrov; Barry, A Young; Carew. Substitutes: Delfouneso, Knight, Salifou, Reo-Coker, Guzan, Gardner, Albrighton. 4:10 David Higgerson:  Afternoon Mat. 4:11 Mat K:  Hello Dave, bit quiet on in here, unlike Old Trafford which is buzzing, despite a surprisingly bright start from Villa 4:11 Bill Howell:  There's only one team in this. It's gone very quiet, as opposed to quiet. 4:11 Mat K:  I thought it was still quite noisy Bill. My ears must be playing up 4:13 [Comment From carl] Hi guys this needs to be a big win for us! 4:13 [Comment From Tommo] What do you think the score will be? 4:14 [Comment From Villain] Its been a while. Do you think the international break has done us any good? 4:16 Mat K:  1-0 down stupid goal to concede. Uh oh 4:17 Mat K:  Ronaldo into the top corner from indirect free kick 10 yards out after Milner backpass to Friedel. Why oh why do Villa keep shooting themselves in the foot? 4:17 [Comment From Villain] Crap. How did that happen? 4:19 Bill Howell:  Huge error from Milner that one. Got himself booked trying to encroach too. Free kick was nearer than a penalty. Ronaldo's shot went over Villa's tallest player on the goal line. Nicky Shorey. 4:19 Mat K:  Already Villa's confidence is shot again and panicking at the back. Uphill task steeper than Kilimanjaro now 4:22 [Comment From Colin] Arsenal are picking up well at the moment, we need something from today if we're going to have any chance. 4:27 Bill Howell:  Everton are closing the gap to a point. 4-0 up on Wigan. 4:30 Mat K:  Villa looking so vulnerable down the middle, but going the other way Agbonlahor has got Gary Nevlle absolutely cacking it (moderator, is 'cacking it' an acceptable phrase for this forum?). Neville simply can't live with Gabby's pace 4:30 Mat K:  1-1 John Carew! 4:32 [Comment From Colin] Yes 4:32 [Comment From Villain] Get in Carew 4:32 [Comment From tone] That's the least we've deserved, I think. We were on top at the start, freekick was unlucky. game on! 4:32 David Higgerson:  I believe cacking it is perhaps one of the better expressions to use for a Neville. 4:34 Mat K:  Just need Villa to be solid for 15 minutes to keep a foothold in the game, otherwise I'm going to be all doom and gloom again - and that's a threat! Thanks for the clarification about the appropriate terminology, David! 4:34 Do you think the result will be.... A Villa victory?  ( 40% ) A draw?  ( 20% ) A United victory?  ( 40% ) 4:34 [Comment From unklerupert] John Carew equaliser at Old Trafford makes me (a red) a very happy camper. 4:35 Bill Howell:  Really fine play by Barry. Carew's eight league goal of the season. If only he'd not missed three months. Away fans now in terrific voice. The team deserved that. Really good opening half an hour. 4:35 David Higgerson:  Afternoon Unklerupert - I think there will be a lot of Liverpool fans paying close attention to this game today! 4:35 Mat K:  They'll be dancing on the streets of Scouseland if Villa can pull of a positive result here 4:36 [Comment From tone] Well be lucky to pull off a win here. It's a tough one, and Ronaldo, sadly, seems to have decided he want to play well again 4:37 [Comment From unklerupert] There will be dancing in the streets of Birmingham as well Mat (I am B23) 4:38 Mat K:  I dance like my dad so I best give it a miss 4:41 Mat K:  No offence dad 4:43 [Comment From unklerupert] Right you are Mat, leap about in an uncoordinated fashion then. 4:43 [Comment From Big Al] United look vulnerable. sure it will be the ref's fault 4:44 Mat K:  Fair play to Villa, I thought they'd go under after falling behind, but they finally seem to have found some spirit from somewhere. It's going to be a big 45 minutes for how the Premier League season pans out after half-time 4:49 [Comment From unklerupert] Half time and happy thoughts from this Liverpool fan. Keep it up Villa, I need to sort me Sunday tattys and polish the squeaky bum seat. 4:49 [Comment From Big Al] Good show so far. We just need to keep it up in the second time. Good to see the lads turn it around so well, so far. 4:50 David Higgerson:  Mat and Bill will be putting together "Villa View" - the weekly video show which canvassing all the opinions that matter about Villa, including yours. You can send your thoughts to sport@birminghammail.net 4:52 [Comment From Colin] That'll do so far! 4:53 Bill Howell:  Thorougholy deserved to be level at the break. And if you look at some of the chances, probably ahead. United missing their centre-backs and Rooney. That's their problem. Villa are sniffing a bit of history here. 1983 and all that. I get the feeling these 'home' supporters would be reasonably happy with a point. 5:04 David Higgerson:  Thoughts for the second half folks? 5:08 Mat K:  Big 45 this for both sides, the tension is palpable, although the lino on the near side has just lightened the mood by almost doing the splits and almost ending up on the deck! 5:09 [Comment From Phil in NY] Watching this on holiday in New York. We're looking good. If they play this well while I'm away, can we have a whip round to keep me here? 5:10 [Comment From mick] this is the way villa should be playing all the time up for it 5:14 [Comment From Big Al] Agreed. Playng well today 5:16 Mat K:  2-1 Gabby - get in! Badly hurt scoring though 5:17 [Comment From mick] why cant they play like this all the time 5:17 [Comment From mick] oh yes 5:17 [Comment From Big Al] Get in! All he needs is confidence! 5:18 [Comment From Villain] What to do now - sit back or keep going forward? It's going to be nervous! 5:19 Mat K:  Gabby back on and look ok, but Cuellar now needing treatment. Half an hour to go, plus whatever Fergie's clock adds on for stoppages. Can Villa do it??? Well, can they? 5:21 [Comment From mick] we've gone back to defend now get back up & score another for god sack 5:22 [Comment From mick] sake* 5:23 Mat K:  Mick, thank goodness you amended that - didn't know what God's sack had to do with it! 5:23 [Comment From Sarah Carter, Aston] Watching the match on telly loved the look on Sir Alex's face when Gabs scored woop woop 5:23 [Comment From Sarah Carter, Aston] lmao 5:23 [Comment From Big Al] Get up that field! 5:23 Mat K:  Are Villa are the verge of something special here? Still a long long way to go. As those celebrating Scousers would say. Calm down, calm down 5:24 [Comment From mick] we do this all the time take the lead & think we can defend & play the game out but we cant we need another goal 5:27 [Comment From brad] wow... soccer sucks! 5:27 [Comment From Frank Leemydeah] I think I may be about to wet myself I'm laughing so hard. lol 5:30 [Comment From mick] i can see villa conceeding a goal here 5:30 Mat K:  United just showing signs that they are cranking it up a gear. Concentrate Villa. CONCENTRATE 5:33 Mat K:  16 minutes left 5:33 Mat K:  plus stoppages.....squeaky bum time indeed 5:38 Mat K:  Unbelievable to think Villa are defending a lead here. I had them down for a 2-0 defeat before the game and 4-0 when they went a goal down. 2-2 spoke to soon, Ronaldo again. Damn 5:40 Mat K:  Villa got to stay calm, point would still be a fine result, don't throw it away now 5:41 [Comment From Big Al] Why weren't we in control like this weeks ago? 5:41 [Comment From mick] 2.2 5:41 [Comment From mick] just can not keep hold of a lead.man u will go on & win this now 5:41 [Comment From mick] what a sloppy goal as well 5:41 Mat K:  You'd best update the score Dave 5:41 Mat K:  Beat me to it! 5:45 Mat K:  Carew playing extremely well. Imagine him if he played at full pelt every week. What a player he'd be 5:46 [Comment From Big Al] Now we're just hanging on? 5:47 [Comment From mick] we just aint got the confidence to go & win this,get it up & keep attacking dont let them keep coming to us 5:49 [Comment From mick] 5 mins ffs 5:49 Mat K:  Five minutes injury time. Absolutely ridiculous 5:49 David Higgerson:  Five long minutes, I think? 5:50 [Comment From mick] fergies had a word again 5:50 [Comment From Villain] It's Fergie Time - like chico time but more annoying 5:51 Mat K:  3-2 blown it 5:52 [Comment From Villain] Over and out 5:52 [Comment From oz] at old trafford the ref keeps playing until utd score 5:52 [Comment From mick] we all ways do does'nt surprise me i seen it coming since we took the lead a load of jokers the villa players 5:53 Mat K:  Absolutely devastating. Villa deserve at least a draw possibly a win from this. How do you get back up off the floor after this one? 5:53 [Comment From yourowndemise] u do it 2 yourself u do. 5:53 [Comment From mick] oh well gives the scousers a harder time now 5:53 [Comment From unklerupert] oh bum - no dancing in B23 tonight then 5:55 [Comment From yourowndemise] to much sitting back & letting them attack you. Munu where there for the taking 5:55 [Comment From mick] every villa player should hang their heads in shame 5:56 David Higgerson:  So that's full time at Old Trafford.... Mat's verdict will be in tomorrow morning's Birmingham Post, and you can read Bill Howell's big match analysis in tomorrow's Birmingham Mail. Don't forget to log on to the website from noon tomorrow to watch Villa View - get your comments in now to sport@birminghammail.net 5:57 Bill Howell:  At Liverpool, Villa deserved everything they got. Here they got nothing. The better side up until the 80th minute. Then two cracking goals out of nothing. It will be very difficult to pick the players up off the floor after that. Really harsh on Villa. They were terrific at stages today. 5:57 [Comment From andy] What rubbish ! Ashley Young world class what a joke that is 5:58 Mat K:  Mick, that's a bit harsh. I think Villa can hold their heads high for the first time in ages this week. Granted they threw it away, but they deserve credit for putting up one hell of a fight. Fifth place now though me-thinks. United are celebrating like the title's in the bag 5:58 Bill Howell:  five minutes of stoppage time. What was that about?! 5:58 [Comment From The Bluenose] Hahahaha 5:58 [Comment From andy] it was a reserve team, ! 5:59 David Higgerson:  Bill and Mat, thanks as ever. To everyone who took part, thanks very much also. We'll catch you all again soon 5:59