Reality bites for Villa’s stargazers

THE harsh demands of gatecrashing the Premier League’s top four are beginning to bite at Aston Villa.

Martin O’Neill’s side have seen the plaudits pile high this season, their heady combination of youth, speed and skill making them the unquestioned neutrals’ favourite, but results such as this have a habit of bringing a side down to earth with a resounding thud.

Villa are continuing to labour against the division’s lesser lights — they have won just three of their eight home games this term — and unless that record improves quickly, it is impossible to see how they can break the established elite.

Frustration gnawed away at O’Neill’s players as they filed away from Villa Park on Saturday, their tempers tested by the knowledge that, for all their perky performances against Arsenal and Manchester United in recent weeks, such results mean little unless sides like Fulham can be swatted aside.

“The fans were a bit disappointed with this game coming after the Arsenal win and getting a good result against Manchester United,” Curtis Davies, the central defender, said.

“I think people expected us to walk this one but they got a good result at Liverpool last week and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy and they set up in the same way and weren’t very ambitious.

“They have got very good footballers in their midfield but their defenders were basically very solid at the back and just stayed there. It is a shame that they didn’t come at us a bit more and open up a few spaces.

“There is a lot of disappointment in the dressing room because it is no use getting the results against the big teams and then not getting the results you should get against, with all due respect, the Fulhams.

“That is frustrating because, even before the Arsenal and Manchester United games, if we had got four points from Middlesbrough and Newcastle games, like we would have expected to, we would have been right up there.

“It is frustrating that we seem to let ourselves down against so-called middle table teams or lower table teams.”

Villa scarcely threatened against a well organised and disciplined Fulham side, and only a superb late save from Brad Friedel to keep out Clint Dempsey’s pile-driver denied them three points.

Midfielder Jimmy Bullard believes Fulham are now showing the resolve needed to pick up points away from Craven Cottage, having also taken a point from Anfield last weekend.

“We have picked up a bit away from home,” he said. “Drawing at Liverpool was a great result for us and getting a point at Villa was another big lift.

“They are in good form, pushing to break into the top four this season, but we played really well and thoroughly deserved the point.

“We kept them at bay a little bit. They had a few chances but we also had the odd sniff. They pushed a lot of men forward and it is always a tough game coming to Villa Park.

“In the first half we took it to them, we passed the ball better and could have got in a few times. In the second half they were a bit more on top of us.

“I’d love to control a game for 90 minutes but you can’t do that at this level.

“We got the draw and points are what really matter come the end of the season for us. We are hopefully getting tougher to beat on the road and we want to keep it going.

“To be honest, we have been trying all season to win and draw games away from home – but sometimes it just doesn’t work for whatever reason.

“The Liverpool result gave us a fair bit of confidence and then we go on from there and do well at Villa and hopefully we have kick-started our away form.”

Bullard added: “We had the reprieve at the end of last season when we managed to stay up and we just keep ticking along.

“Our home form is great at the moment, we have a little unbeaten run going. Let’s keep that going and who knows where we can end up at the end of the season.”

ASTON VILLA (4-4-2) Friedel 6, Cuellar 6, Laursen 6, Davies 6, L Young 5, Sidwell 6, Petrov 5, Barry 6, Milner 5, Agbonlahor 5, A Young 7.

Subs Not Used: Guzan, Harewood, Delfouneso, Knight, Salifou, Shorey, Gardner.

FULHAM (4-4-2): Schwarzer 6, Pantsil 7, Hughes 6, Hangeland 7, Konchesky 6, Davies 6, Murphy 6, Bullard 7, Dempsey 6, Johnson 6, Zamora 6 (Gera 85, 5).

Subs Not Used: Zuberbuhler, Nevland, Gray, Etuhu, Stoor, Kallio.

REFEREE: Mike Jones (Cheshire) 7: A quiet afternoon for the officials and there were no complaints from either manager about their performance.

MATCH RATING: ** A wasted opportunity for Villa, who must develop more of a cutting edge at home if they are to make good on their top four potential.