Birmingham City 0 Aston Villa 1 - Full time report

Sep 13 2009 PA Sport

Clear-cut chances were few and far between with Villa's new-look defence repelling Blues's advances comfortably.

Referee Webb did well to keep a yellow card inside his pocket when Larsson felled Ashley Young in the 40th minute.

But Villa almost made Blues pay seconds later when Young's cross was met at the far post by Milner.

But yet again the Villa's midfielder failed to get his shot on target even though he was completely unmarked at the far post.

Agbonlahor then headed wide of the target when Young sent over a cross from the right wing.

Blues replaced James McFadden with Lee Carsley at the start of the second-half.

In the 51st minute, Steve Sidwell was booked for bringing down Larsson in full flight.

Three minutes later substitute Carsley tested Friedel with a curling shot from the edge of the penalty area but the American keeper was equal to the task.

Blues were enjoying a long spell of possession but there was little end product.

Another shot from Carsley failed to trouble Friedel but it was a similar story at the opposite end with Blues's defence holding firm against Villa's sporadic forays into their half.

Agbonlahor sprinted towards the Blues rearguard in the 64th minute but he soon found himself in a blind alley as he ran out of steam and ideas.
Moments later the Villa striker found himself in the referee's notebook for a foul on Franck Queudrue.

Agbonlahor could have no complaints as he clearly shoved the Blues defender to the ground as he raced on to the ball.

The game was crying out for some quality on the ball but it was not supplied by Bowyer. The Blues midfielder tried his luck from 25-yards out but his effort was well wide of the target in the 67th minute.

But Villa were living dangerously. James Collins twice failed to clear his lines and then Milner was forced to foul Fahey as Blues applied more pressure.

But Larsson's resultant free-kick, although directed into the centre of the penalty area, failed to bring any success.

In the 77th minute Warnock's cross found Sidwell at the far post but his header was straight into the arms of Blues keeper Hart.

Three minutes later Milner sent a right-foot shot towards the bottom corner from 20-yards but Hart managed to dive low to his left to keep it out.

But the deadlock was finally broken in the 84th minute when Young's free-kick was nodded back by substitute John Carew for Agbonlahor to apply the necessary finish from close range

Blues: Hart, Tainio, Roger Johnson, Queudrue, Parnaby, Larsson, Bowyer, Ferguson, McFadden, Fahey, O'Connor. Subs: Maik Taylor, Phillips, Benitez, Espinoza, McSheffrey, Damien Johnson, Carsley.
Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Milner, Sidwell, Reo-Coker, Petrov, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor. Subs: Guzan, Carew, Delph, Heskey, Shorey, Beye, Gardner.
Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)