THERE were giveaways galore at Villa Park on Saturday.

From the family funday ticket offers, to another John Pantsil own-goal to Brad Friedel’s handouts, there was more generosity than when Randy Lerner opened his chequebook last month.

There was a range of benefactors, but Fulham were the clear beneficiaries again in this fixture. The clubs share the same sponsor – FxPro – and there’s seemingly an unwritten agreement to share the points, too, with Villa gifting the Cottagers another draw.

If Gerard Houllier’s team are all give, give, give, then Mark Hughes’ men are all take, take, take – apart from Pantsil, that is. Villa didn’t throw away a four-goal lead like Arsenal in their dramatic capitulation at Newcastle but they have now thrown away four points against Fulham this term.

That’s a hefty 16 points dropped from winning positions this season. Instead of 14th on 29 points, Villa would be challenging for fourth with 45 points if they had held on to all of their leads.

Never mind Randy’s record £18-24 million outlay on Darren Bent, the claret and blues’ habit of shooting themselves in the foot is proving much more costly.

Villa claimed Fulham’s last-gasp leveller at the Cottage in November still rankles. It clearly didn’t rankle enough to prevent yet another wasted opportunity, which was all the more annoying after the visitors gave them a head start.

Pantsil pioneered the spirit of giving by haplessly heading Villa in front with an own-goal on 13 minutes – to add to the one he nodded into the same North Stand net last season. In his defence, it was a delicious delivery from Stewart Downing, on the right with the outside of his left boot, which forced his third o.g. of the season.

While we’re on the subject of giving, Downing’s detractors should give the gifted winger a break.

He splits opinion as often as defences, but to dwell on his tackling deficiencies is to ignore the attacking qualities which have earned him a deserved England recall alongside fellow Villans, Ashley Young, Gabby Agbonlahor, Kyle Walker and Bent.

Indeed, Bent should have had his third Villa goal when he was dubiously flagged offside when he netted before Pantsil’s opener.