West Brom fail to finish off Villa

West Brom 1 Aston Villa 1

Villa stunned Albion with a fourth-minute opener, Olof Mellberg rising highest to head home Thomas Hitzlsperger’s supply from the right wing.

The visitors went close to a second when a re-run of the same move ended with Baggies goalkeeper Russell Hoult parrying the Sweden international’s header and Paul Robinson hacking the ball off the line.However, West Brom were back on terms before half-time thanks to Neil Clement who headed home Jonathan Greening’s cross in the 38th minute.

It was the hosts who then went on to dominate the remainder of the game only for steadfast Villa defending to keep Albion at bay.

A rueful Megson confessed: “Looking at the game with five minutes gone, and after having conceded such an early goal, you’d say a draw was a good result for us. But when the whistle eventually went after an hour-and-a-half’s football we were disappointed, in fact very disappointed, not to have won the game.”

Even so Megson was prepared to give the opposition due credit.

“Their goal was as much a result of good attacking play as bad defending on our part, and we’re going to come across that every week in the Premiership,” he said. “Every team we play against is going to have people like Hitzlsperger who are capable of delivering quality balls and people like Mellberg who will be up there to attack it. But we’re the same - we’ve got quality players who can produce quality crosses and we’ve got athletic players who are going to get across defenders and score goals.”

Villa boss David O’Leary was left to reflect on a defensive lapse which allowed Albion their leveller. “We were well aware of West Brom and that they were going to be very committed - but we didn’t defend well.”

WEST BROM: Hoult, Scimeca, Gaardsoe, Purse, Robinson, Haas (Gera 63), Johnson, Clement, Greening, Horsfield (Dobie 74), Kanu.

ASTON VILLA: Sorensen, Delaney, Mellberg, Laursen, Samuel, Solano (De la Cruz 80), McCann, Hitzlsperger, Barry (Whittingham 81), Cole, Vassell (Angel 70).

Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).