ZOLTAN Gera was still keeping his parents awake at the night when Albion last won at Villa Park in May 1979.

The Hungarian, born just a few weeks earlier, is the only Albion player who can lay claim to being alive when John Trewick’s goal beat their closest geographical rivals.

Yet tomorrow’s fixture gives Albion much hope.

The landscape has changed significantly in the last few months.

Villa, once a shoe-in for a top-six challenge, are no longer necessarily assured of such status.

Albion, once hoping to scrape enough wins to finish 17th, can aspire to better things – though survival remains the first and only objective.

Tomorrow’s game throws up several intriguing battles.

Rightly or wrongly, such is the lingering despondency over Alex McLeish’s appointment that an early Albion goal could throw Villa Park into hostile territory.

Albion were given a snapshot of this when they scored two early goals at the Stadium of Light recently.

And while they didn’t finished off the job that day, the notion of Villa’s nearest rivals – in Blues’ absence – scoring first could have a significant effect on the dynamics of the game.

McLeish knows all about Albion’s qualities having seen his Blues side concede six goals to them last year.

Peter Odemwingie thrived on that occasion and if he can reproduce the efforts of last Sunday then Villa will need to be wary.