Gabriel Agbonlahor's late header gave Aston Villa a 1-0 victory at Birmingham City in a derby game high on passion but low on quality. More
90+4' There's the final whistle! Aston Villa have won the Second City Derby thanks to Gabriel Agbonlahor's late strike!
90+1' Another great chance for Villa on the break... Carew has Milner alongside him but overhits the pass and it's a big escape for Birmingham!
89' Young releases Agbonlahor on the break, he's clean through... and FIRES OVER THE BAR!
87' The substitute is substituted - Lee Carsley comes off tomake way for Kevin Phillips.
85' GOAL!!!! Gabriel Agbonlahor for Aston Villa!! Young's free-kick is headed across goal by Carew and Agbonlahor nods it past Hart!! Well-worked set-piece, surely the winner!
82' Benitez has a crack! Friedel spills the 20-yard shot and leaps on the rebound.
80' MILNER!!! Shoots from 20 yards and it deflects wide off a defender. Villa getting closer here.
79' Thank goodness. Benitez comes on for O'Connor, and not before time. You'll probably gather that I like him.
78' SIDWELL!! Rises high to head the ball goalwards but it is straight at Hart!
71' Here is Carew, and it looks like Villa will go to a 4-4-2 formation as Nigel Reo-Coker is the man to make way.
65' A yellow card for Agbonlahor, and this one is for dissent after he is adjudged to have fouled Queudrue.
46' Second half under way! Lee Carsley has replaced James McFadden for Birmingham - you'd have to imagine we will see the exciting Christian Benitez at some point.
45' Agbonlahor! Directs a header goalwards and it deflects off a defender - but referee Webb awards a goal kick!
44' McFadden is down with an injury... it is his left thigh.
41' Young delivers an inswinging cross from the left, it drops over everyone to MILNER!! He cannot sort his feet out and sends the ball wide.
30' Bowyer is well forward again and has no support but fires... and Friedel punches wide.
22' Agbonlahor crosses low from the right and finds MILNER!! But again he miscues the shot, and scuffs it yards wide!
17' A mistake at the back from Birmingham allows Agbonlahor to find Milner, but his shot is charged down. Real high-energy stuff here.
10' Last-ditch defending from Villa!! They are under real pressure here, but pull off excellent blocks to deny O'Connor and Larsson.
7' Great chance for Milner! Agbonlahor holds off his man and finds Milner, who drags his shot wide from the edge of the box!
1' Game on! Villa kick off in claret and light blue, playing from right to left as we see it. Birmingham in blue and white.
- TEAMS: BIRMINGHAM: 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)
90+1' Another great chance for Villa on the break... Carew has Milner alongside him but overhits the pass and it's a big escape for Birmingham!
89' Young releases Agbonlahor on the break, he's clean through... and FIRES OVER THE BAR!
85' GOAL!!!! Gabriel Agbonlahor for Aston Villa!! Young's free-kick is headed across goal by Carew and Agbonlahor nods it past Hart!! Well-worked set-piece, surely the winner!
82' Benitez has a crack! Friedel spills the 20-yard shot and leaps on the rebound.
80' MILNER!!! Shoots from 20 yards and it deflects wide off a defender. Villa getting closer here.
78' SIDWELL!! Rises high to head the ball goalwards but it is straight at Hart!
45' Agbonlahor! Directs a header goalwards and it deflects off a defender - but referee Webb awards a goal kick!
41' Young delivers an inswinging cross from the left, it drops over everyone to MILNER!! He cannot sort his feet out and sends the ball wide.
30' Bowyer is well forward again and has no support but fires... and Friedel punches wide.
22' Agbonlahor crosses low from the right and finds MILNER!! But again he miscues the shot, and scuffs it yards wide!
17' A mistake at the back from Birmingham allows Agbonlahor to find Milner, but his shot is charged down. Real high-energy stuff here.
10' Last-ditch defending from Villa!! They are under real pressure here, but pull off excellent blocks to deny O'Connor and Larsson.
7' Great chance for Milner! Agbonlahor holds off his man and finds Milner, who drags his shot wide from the edge of the box!
- TEAMS: BIRMINGHAM: 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)
Birmingham CityManager: Alex McLeish
Captain: Lee Carsley
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45′
86′
79′ None
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Aston VillaManager: Martin O'Neill
Captain: Stilian Petrov
71′ None
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fu griffithscharmaine villa is the best

Having watched blues for 40yrs and having seen many local derby games with villa i cant understand the reason for playing one forward up front,at home.After 15 minutes anyone who knows the basics of football could tell villa were not up for it and were there for the taking.Thats when Benitez should have made way for a midfield player,Instead villa sat back with one forward upfront leaving it late to turn the balance and bring on forwards and attacking play.Last week Wigan charged £20 per ticket,blues £48.Who wants to pay £48 to see negative tactics.Blues should search for a younger manager,someone with flair and give people entertainment,whats the point being relegated losing 1-0 every week. jm

At least Villa came on through for this one

No passion , ideas ,commitment, You cannot play with one stricker up front at home .
At home you go to win not play defensive and hope for a break .
Sorry from what I have seen promotion , relegation , promotion , relegation here we come
Sorry lets get a manager that instills a commitment and passion in his players, and starts playing some kind of attacking football

gone to villa to sit on the bench mr delph, big mistake, you should have stayed at the best supported club in england.

blues are a joke, they were too defensive. why take off your lone striker for another striker instead of going 2 up front? YOU WERE THE HOME TEAM!!! o'neill got it right and brought off a midfielder for another striker... that's how it's done.
you're sh*t ahhhhhhhhhhhh

blues are a joke, they were too defensive. why take off your lone striker for another striker instead of going 2 up front? YOU WERE THE HOME TEAM!!! o'neill got it right and brought off a midfielder for another striker... that's how it's done.
you're sh*t ahhhhhhhhhhhh

why is maik taylor not the number 1 at birmingham ??
harts a tosser,,,
and damien johnson sould my in the starting line up,,,, time will tell mr mccleish
davey, inverness

dunne and warnock to play well,...what's happened to benitez for Brum?

BRUM...WOLVES....BURNLEY.....TO GO BACK TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP, LITTLE CLUBS LIKE YOURS DON'T BELONG IN THE BIG BOYS LEAGUE....

who is ging to be the first to score is going to be the biggest most famus person so watch out

come on villa we got more tallent in our reserve keeper than birminghams got in theyr entire team

Burnley, Wolves and Hull to go down. Brum and Pompey to just about escape

Villa 3 - 1 Birmingham
(Young x2,Petrov) (Ferguson)

this seem to be a big derby match
