Blades held in Villa thriller

Sheffield United 2 Aston Villa 2

Stiliyan Petrov opened the scoring after just 76 seconds with his first goal for Villa following his £6.5 million move from Celtic in August.

However, Irish youngster Stephen Quinn and Danny Webber hit back for the Blades in a rousing second half at Bramall Lane, only for Baros to clinch Villa’s seventh draw in nine away games this season.

Coming into this game United had grabbed all three points in their last two matches with 88th-minute goals at Watford and at home to Charlton.

This was another superb second-half show but they struggled in the opening half as Petrov was in a class of his own. The Bulgaria international lifted Villa from the off, firing past Paddy Kenny from 20 yards after an initial effort from Chris Sutton had rebounded into his path off the heel of Baros.

On the half hour Kenny brilliantly kept his side in the game with a point-blank save from Gary Cahill after Gabriel Agbonlahor had flicked a Petrov cross into his path.

It was all change after the break with United level after 50 minutes courtesy of 20-year-old Quinn, making only his second Premiership appearance.

Right-back Rob Kozluk’s long throw to the edge of the six-yard box fell into the path of Quinn who smashed a right-foot volley from 10 yards.

It was then all the Blades, with Taylor clawing down on his line a powerful six-yard header from Hulse before Webber scored to put the home side in front on 64 minutes.

From a short corner by Quinn, Gillespie delivered a cross to the far post where captain Chris Morgan nodded down into the six-yard box.

With his back to goal, Webber delicately flicked the ball into the roof of the net with the outside of his boot.

But the lead lasted just 44 seconds as the Blades rearguard proved equally inept in allowing Sutton to knock down a chipped ball from Steve Davis for Baros to blast home from six yards.

It was his first goal at club level since a double in a 3-1 win over Birmingham in April.

SHEFF UTD: Kenny, Kozluk, Bromby, Morgan, Geary, Gillespie, Jagielka, Montgomery, Stephen Quinn, Hulse, Webber (Nade 68).

ASTON VILLA: Taylor, Mellberg, Cahill, Ridgewell, Bouma (Hughes 67), Agbonlahor, McCann, Petrov, Davis (Osbourne 75), Sutton (Angel 83), Baros.

Referee: M Halsey