Villa 2-1 Brighton. Oct 19th.
You can’t beat a 90th minute winner, well okay then you can, a 94th minute winner with barely any time for the opposition to restart the game, beautiful! We weren’t at our best and once again toiled against a side reduced to ten men for long periods, but eventually Brighton’s resistance was broken and the streets of Witton duly teemed with joyful and relieved claret & blue attired souls.
We went behind early on to an unforgivably simple header afforded a Brighton striker hovering at the back post, barely believing his luck as he rose, unmarked, to nod a free kick in from short range. I’ve always been a believer in zonal marking at set pieces but if two defenders operate in the same zone, leaving one empty, expect an opposing striker to take advantage of the chasm afforded him. A few minutes later though, Brighton’s midfielder, Dunk, already on a yellow card, thought it pertinent to kick an advancing Grealish and was given a red card for his trouble. To rub salt into the Seasiders’ wounds, Grealish was on hand to touch a cross in from close range on the half-time whistle, almost muffing it but not quite.
Villa struggled in the second half, not taking advantage of the extra man and the crowd had all but conceded acceptance of a solitary point until Targett stormed forward to wallop home a Grealish pass and Villa Park’s roof came off. Two wins on the spin, get in. Man City next though, get the tin hats ready.
We went behind early on to an unforgivably simple header afforded a Brighton striker hovering at the back post, barely believing his luck as he rose, unmarked, to nod a free kick in from short range. I’ve always been a believer in zonal marking at set pieces but if two defenders operate in the same zone, leaving one empty, expect an opposing striker to take advantage of the chasm afforded him. A few minutes later though, Brighton’s midfielder, Dunk, already on a yellow card, thought it pertinent to kick an advancing Grealish and was given a red card for his trouble. To rub salt into the Seasiders’ wounds, Grealish was on hand to touch a cross in from close range on the half-time whistle, almost muffing it but not quite.
Villa struggled in the second half, not taking advantage of the extra man and the crowd had all but conceded acceptance of a solitary point until Targett stormed forward to wallop home a Grealish pass and Villa Park’s roof came off. Two wins on the spin, get in. Man City next though, get the tin hats ready.
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