Bohemians 2, Aston Villa 1: Pre-season match report
MARTIN O’Neill’s Irish eyes were still smiling last night despite Aston Villa departing Dublin following a narrow defeat to never-say-die Bohemians.
But the Villa boss will be hoping he doesn’t have to replace Ireland with ‘ire’ when he returns to Bodymoor Heath for showdown talks with James Milner tomorrow.
If the paint was peeling off parts of Bohemians’ basic Dalymount Park yesterday, then that is nothing compared to what Milner could experience in the manager’s office tomorrow.
Milner, like his World Cup colleagues Emile Heskey, Stephen Warnock and Brad Guzan, was excused the training camp in Dublin because of international duty in South Africa.
But the Manchester City target must brace himself for a dressing down from O’Neill after controversially disputing the manager’s revelation that he has expressed a desire to quit Villa Park.
Also in the boss’s bad books is Luke Young, who failed to make the trip to the Emerald Isle, while Steve Sidwell was absent too as he awaits final confirmation of his move to Fulham.
While O’Neill named a strong line up, it was the Bohs’ selector, manager Pat Fenlon, who picked a shadow side after his first team won 3-0 at Bray in the Airtricity League the previous evening. Bohemians are midway through their campaign, third in the table and two points off leaders Shamrock Rovers with a game in hand, so had a head start on Villa in terms of match fitness.
The facilities might have been a culture shock for the claret and blues’ millionaire superstars but there was a level playing field in terms of the immaculate pitch.
Gabby Agbonlahor shook off a back injury to partner Ashley Young up front and the Brummie striker immediately burst down the left to tee up Stewart Downing who scuffed his shot wide.
Nigel Reo-Coker was next to threaten when he tried his luck with a 20-yard cracker which Bohs keeper Chris O’Connor tipped over at full stretch.
But it was the luck of the Irish which led to the opening goal on 20 minutes when Brad Friedel sloppily sliced a clearance under pressure from Aaron Greene and Conor Powell punished him with an inch-perfect lob from outside the area.
Bohs were buoyed by taking the lead and might have increased their advantage moments later had Friedel not partially atoned for his error with a point blank range stop from Greene.
Villa twice came close to an equaliser midway through the first half when Downing set up Agbonlahor two times in quick succession but his first strike was saved by O’Connor and his second whizzed over the bar.
Agbonlahor was soon involved again when his instinctive header was nodded off the line after Ciaran Clark worked the ball into his path. Downing then tested O’Connor with a stinging drive which the stopper did well to turn away.
