Aston Villa 2 Everton 2: Andy Walker's verdict and stats

Apr 15 2010 by Andy Walker, Birmingham Mail

IT may be cheerio Carling Cup and farewell FA Cup but it’s still not time to say adios to the Champions League.

The back of Phil Jagielka’s head and Tim Howard’s butter-fingers kept Villa’s slim hopes of nabbing fourth place alive last night.

Martin O’Neill was all set to witness a once hopeful campaign completely fall apart at the seams.

With Everton 2- 1 up and the game into stoppage time, Villa’s hopes of Europa League, let alone Champions League, football next season looked doomed.

Then Ashley Young, an experienced man when it comes to last-gasp drama against the Toffees, floated in a cross from the left that deflected off Jagielka and squirmed out of Howard’s grasp at the far post.

While a win was what Villa desperately needed, a point was still just about good enough.

With fourth-placed Manchester City seven points ahead and five games to play, the race is still on.

And the optimistic folk among the Villa Park faithful will point to their side’s run-in compared to their rivals for that final Champions League spot as reason to believe.

Portsmouth, Hull, Blues, Manchester City and Blackburn – a run of games that shouldn’t strike fear into the hearts of a side vying to earn a place in Europe’s premier club competition.

The only trouble is that Villa have only managed to chalk up four wins from their last 15 league games.

Defeat last night would have been a disaster.

Not only would have it ended Villa’s faint Champions League dream, but it would have also threatened their chances of playing in Europe at all next season.

Resurgent Everton would have been breathing down their necks.

It was a full-blooded, thoroughly entertaining and often tasty encounter at Villa Park last night.

Villa almost found themselves undone by the Premier League’s master of ghosting into the penalty area – Tim Cahill.

The Australia international’s brace, either side of Gabby Agbonlahor’s 50th senior goal, looked to have handed Everton the three points.

O’Neill had opted to stick with the same team that suffered FA Cup heartbreak at Wembley on Saturday for this crunch fixture, the most played in the English top flight.

And this 190th Villa-Everton league chapter got off to a lively start with early chances for both of these evenly-matched sides.