What a game. What a game! Last week I dismissed the Reading manager’s assertion that his game with Villa wasn’t a six pointer, pretty much calling him a liar. But, after witnessing a true relegation battle at Villa Park, between Villa and QPR maybe Mr. McDermott was right and his side is simply waiting until the end of the season.
This game was a roller coaster in every sense. QPR started by keeping possession, until Villa got the ball and then Villa showed a surprising amount of composure playing keep away and controlling the midfield. Harry Redknapp kept putting up 2 fingers on one hand and 3 on the other to remind Rangers players how Reading lost the midfield battle last week by being out numbered in midfield. Early on Villa was getting joy down the left sideline and the first of some ill fortune and poor calls from the ref changed the look of the game.
One minute Villa players were waiting for the ref to give an obvious free kick for an illegal back pass to the keeper; that was not awarded; the next Guzan was making 2 world class saves to deny Samba at the other.
Villa was rocked and things were about to get worse. Baker dived in for a diving header in QPR’s area with Samba and with Villa’s luck; it was our lad who came out of it in bad shape.
For a few minutes, Villa had to play with 10 men until Baker decided his day was over and Bennett had to be prepared to come on.
Bennett’s first touch was horrific. He had Weimann in plenty of space down the line, but chose the simpler looking pass inside to either Bannan or Sylla. He played the ball between them and JENAS intercepted, and what seemed like an hour later the ball was in our net.
Villa now moved the ball pretty gingerly and QPR took advantage. Players were going into the book fairly constantly. Lowton was lucky Fabio kept on his feet in the box or Rangers could have had a penalty. Nobody closed down Rene and Guzan made another great save causing Trevor Francis to declare (and I’m paraphrasing) that Guzan made another rLEFT handed save there with his RIGHT hand!
More misfortune for Villa was that there were a ton of fouls by both sides, but the ref in his exuberance to keep the game flowing allowed QPR the advantage and called them all back when the advantage failed, whilst giving Villa an advantage when there was obviously none there. At one point Sylla was fouled and tried to take on 4 players with nobody to pass to, almost achieving it before running the ball out of play. Where was the advantage?
There were 3 minutes of injury time and Villa was on the rocks as they battled to defend a corner that Samba won against Benteke yet again. Villa finally got hold of the ball and played it around well and just like last week their passing paid off at the end of the half.
Lowton hit a teasing cross into the box and with no Samba to deal with it, AGBONLAHOR rose to nod the ball passed Cesar, who was rooted to his line.
The atmosphere in Villa Park was fever pitch as the second half started and it was all Villa early on. Benteke who was in Samba’s pocket in the first half, began winning battles. The forward line was causing more havoc, moving around, giving the midfielders more options. Benteke plundered into the box, the ball fell to Bennett, whose cross found Weimann, but Cesar saved his header. Benteke had a shot over the bar and Weimann almost cut the ball back for Benteke from the byeline after shoddy defending by Fabio.
N’Zogbia came on for Sylla, who was one mistimed tackle away from red, a few minutes earlier than PL probably would have liked. However, it worked out nice a couple of minutes later as Zoggy tried to head a clearance from a corner back into the QPR danger zone, Fabio cleared the ball, but it went from his right back side to 30 yds from goal on his left back’s side, where strangely, Bennett came charging in. He played a neat 1 – 2 for Weimann, but WEIMANN did not play the pass back, instead, he cut inside and leashed a killer strike right out of FIFA13.
‘Arry changed things up and went to 3 at the back and introduced Tarabt. He caused Villa’s defence problems immediately, but overall, Villa still looked good going forward. Lowton should have made it 3-1 when he linked up with Weimann, but he should have swung a left foot at the ball. His right footer was always going away from goal.
In the 72nd minute QPR struck without warning. Villa had possession and shifted the ball sweetly from left to right. Lowton was complaining about no movement ahead of him, so laid the ball off to Weimann on the right sideline and carried on down the right. The Austrian had nobody to pass to, Clarke was closest, but was being watched closely. Weimann chose to go for Lowton, but the ball bounced of a defender and came back into play. Rangers worked the ball down the pitch, Bannan missed a tackle then TOWNSEND hit a shot the hit Ron Vlaar and went out of Guzan’s reach into the corner.
Redknapp went back to 4 at the back, but without a true defender. He didn’t care; he was soon planning his 3rd sub, bringing on Mackie. He never got the chance to do it as in the 80th minute Villa re-took the lead. Benteke won a goal kick, heading on for Zoggs. Charles drove into the box, found Weimann who knocked the ball up and brushed the defender off controlled the ball on the byeline, touched it back to the penalty spot where BENTEKE was waiting to coolly stroke the ball home.
Villa held off Rangers for 15 minutes. That is 10 minutes of remaining time and inexplicably 5 extra minutes. Hmm. 5 substitutions is 2 ½ minutes. 3 goals, that’s 1 ½ minutes. No injuries. Where the extra minute came from is anybody’s guess. At about 5 ½ minutes Rangers should have scored, but the shot went narrowly wide and Villa’s chances of survival took a huge boost.