Aston Villa 1, Cardiff City 0: Mat Kendrick's big match verdict and player ratings
Sep 24 2009 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail
Like on Saturday, the probing Petrov won the penalty, this time with a foul from Wolves old-boy Gabor Gyepes. Fortunately, Milner’s miss didn’t prove costly.
Despite squandering possession too cheaply, Cardiff, inspired by Leicester and QPR’s recent Villa Park successes, and cheered on throughout by their vocal visiting supporters, made it a competitive cup tie, and even O’Neill admitted that their disallowed equaliser from virtually the last kick of the game was a very close call.
Jay Bothroyd seemed to be level when his tap-in was ruled out for offside, while the former Wolves striker also hit the post in the first-half after Guzan produced a brilliant reflex save to keep out Gavin Rae’s strike which wrong-footed the keeper following a wicked deflection off boyhood Cardiff fan and ex-Bluebird James Collins.
PLAYER RATINGS: VILLA (4-4-2): Guzan 7; Beye 6, Collins 7, Cuellar 7, Shorey 7; DELPH 8, Gardner 7 (Albrighton 79), Petrov 7, Milner 7; Carew 7, Agbonlahor 8. Not used: Friedel, Sidwell, Dunne, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Warnock, Clark.
CARDIFF (4-5-1) Enckelman; Matthews, Gyepes, Gerrard, Capaldi; Burke, Rae (Wildig 90), Scimeca (Chopra 60), Ledley, Whittingham; Bothroyd. Not used: Marshall, Hudson, Quinn, Comminges, Magennis.
Referee: A Taylor (Manchester).
