Summary:
City went through to the FA Cup quarter finals for the first time in 13 years after being the better team for most of the game, but a late Villa goal from Davis set the hearts racing. Samaras and Vassell pounced to get the goals for the Blues but they should maybe have made the game safe before Villa came back at them.
The Match
In City’s one change to the team that started at Fratton Park, Albert Riera was back for Claudio Reyna, who dropped to the bench. Kiki Musampa returned to the heart of midfield where has impressed of late. Sylvain Distin’s groin strain meant he was still out, with Richards partnering Dunne in central defence.
In a late change to the line ups, Patrik Berger dropped out after damaging his achilles in the warm-up, meaning Luke Moore stepped up to the starting XI.
There was a magnificently observed minute’s applause for the late Roy Clarke, with Villa’s contingent joining in a fitting tribute to the late winger.
Villa made a good start when Baros looked to be in a dangerous position after three minutes, but with several City defenders getting between him and the goal Micah Richards’ well-timed intervention saw the moment pass.
City’s first real chance came after nine minutes when Trevor Sinclair’s cross found Samaras in the box. The Greek chested the ball down and in the next movement volleyd on the turn, but the ball was a couple of yards over.
Villa applied some pressure for a while, but then City broke the shackles in the best possible way with a goal! Riera’s great ball from deep found Georgios Samaras, and the striker bounded into the box from the left. Sorensen saved well, but Big Sam pounced on the rebound to roll the ball home and send the home fans wild!
And “Big Sam” was at the heart of things soon after when Ridgewell seemed to use him as a climbing frame when going for a high ball, but referee Dowd saw nothing untoward and did not give the booking that home fans were calling for.
Samaras was in the thick of it after 33 minutes when he clipped Mellberg, and with the Villa skipper making the most of the contact the referee decided to put the City man into his book.
The Blues went close two minutes later, Riera made some room to allow Jordan to cross, and Barton was only inches away from connecting with a diving header.
Thomas Sorensen saved the day two minutes after that, although Trevor Sinclair would lookm back and think that he should have scored. Great work from Vassell found Sinclair free on the right, and after running into the box his low shot was well saved by the Dane when he stuck his right foot out.
It was a full-blooded cup tie by now, with Samaras in the wars after colliding with Barry, and then Gardner being booked for a foul on Barton a few minutes after replacing the injured Baros.
When the teams re-emerged from half time, Sibierski had replaced Samaras, who had been in the wars before the break.
Albert Riera was in Dowd’s book within a minute of the restart for fouling Kevin Phillips.
But on 49 minutes City doubled the lead! There was a scramble in the goalmouth from a Barton cross, Musampa having returned the ball to the midfielder after a corner. The ball rebounded to Riera, who rifled a shot across the area, but unamarked and only two yards out, Darius Vassell had the presence of mind to redirect the ball into the net.
In reality, the Blues could have made it three on 50 minutes when Sibierski rose to a looping rebound eight yards out, but his header touched the right post and went behind.
The game became very open, with Villa making a fist of chasing the tie, and Riera showed some neat touches to make some good crosses from his left flank. The Spanish winger also handled outside his own area, but the resulting free kick went many a mile wide of James’ goal.
Villa threatened with a free kick, but James was equal to it and punched it clear. On 72 Musampa tangled with Gardner and was booked despite winning the free kick. The Dutchman now had five bookings for the season and the possibility of a ban would loom, although clarification regarding the card amnesty towards the end of the season will be sought by the Club.
The Blues were defending with every available man when they needed to, Jordan and Vassell earning ovations for well-timed challenges. Gareth Barry looked to have a good chance on 78, but his shot to the near post was fired well wide.
Time was running out for the visitors, and they spurned another chance when Phillips’ free kick with nine minutes to go was punched clear by James. Gardner shot from the rebound but the keeper was again right behind it.
But with 85 gone, Villa shocked the home fans when Stephen Davis drilled the ball past James to give the visitors a lifeline.
It was a frantic final spell, with Sorensen throwing himself forward for a corner in the way James did at Villa Park to seek a last minute heartbreaker. The whistles from the City fans in stoppage time were deafening, like something from watching a European game in the 1970s! But the Blues hung to the final whistle, having dominated large stretches of the game but as before this season a late goal gave their fans cause to chew their finger nails.
