Summary
The Blues were left to rue a missed penalty from Joey Barton just before half time, when City were making a decent fist of clawing back the deficit from John Carew’s 24th minute header. Shaun Maloney’s free kick with 15 minutes left condemned City to their first defeat to Villa in 10 games.
The game
Injuries saw Michael Johnson and DaMarcus Beasley drop out, and they were replaced by Georgios Samaras and Emile Mpenza.
The minute’s applause for Alan Ball was immaculately observed, and the noise was still reverberating around the stadium when City kicked off in glorious sunshine.
Joey Barton got the first decent shot of the day in on three minutes, Tommy Sorensen flinging himself to his left to catch the effort that looked to be just going inside of the post. Even at this early stage, Darius Vassell was being booed by the Villa fans, fearful of him scoring against his old side yet again.
City’s number 11 was close to extending his good record against the Villains after 12 minutes, latching onto a rebound just inside the area and rolling a shot straight at Sorensen. A minute later he was setting up Ball, who lashed a cross-cum-shot across the face of goal, but into Sorensen’s arms.
Villa’s Craig Gardner went close on 18 minutes, chesting down a Distin clearance and with great technique he volleyed a dipping shot just wide of Isaksson’s right post.
And it was Villa who took the lead on 24 minutes. Ashley Young swung the ball in from the left and John Carew stepped in front of Distin to power his header beyond Isaksson and into the net.
Things nearly got worse for City on the half hour mark, when a smartly-taken free kick from Barry caught City’s defence napping. Thankfully for the Blues, Agbonlahor put his header from just a few yards out wide of the post, but it was a mightily close call.
The game went quiet, with City mounting a couple of attacks that came to nothing, until the stroke of half time when they were awarded a penalty. Tommy Sorensen clattered Darius Vassell at a corner, and Joey Barton stepped up, but the midfielder’s spot kick went high over the middle of the bar to everyone’s astonishment.
Sun Jihai replaced Onuoha at the break.
Ireland glided into space on 50 minutes and had Mpenza moving into the box on his right, but the Irishman’s pass went to his left instead to the crowd’s dismay. Ireland whipped a decent cross two minutes later, and Samaras’ header was only just wide.
Bouma missed a golden opportunity for Villa on 62 minutes, scooping his shot high over the bar from around eight yards out, and in a lot of space.
And a minute later City had failed to take an even better chance. Joey Barton’s pass deceived Villa’s defence and Mpenza was through on Sorensen, but Villa’s keeper bore down on the Belgian and blocked his stabbed effort.
John Carew was replaced by Shaun Maloney on 70 minutes, and five minutes later the substitute had doubled the lead. Villa were awarded a free kick a couple of yards outside the City area, and Maloney’s effort curled over the wall and just inside the post beyond Isaksson’s left hand.
The goal took the wind out of City’s sails for a time, but Samaras had a header from inside the area that bounce just past the post with seven minutes left. Vassell chanced his arm from range inside the last minute of the 90, but his shot went well wide of Sorensen’s right post. That was the last chance of the match, which ended after two minutes of stoppage time were added on.
