Villa and Everton draw a blank

Aston Villa 0 Everton 0

Wayne Rooney failed to score on his Everton comeback but David Moyes’ side collected a rare away point in a game of few clear cut chances at Villa Park.

All eyes were on Rooney, who celebrated his 18th birthday on Friday, after Moyes had been critical of his performances so far this season.

He worked hard enough but had only one sniff of a chance in the entire 90 minutes against a Villa defence which was forced to include veteran centre-forward Dion Dublin alongside skipper Olof Mellberg.

And Dublin slotted in comfortably enough alongside Villa man-of-the-match Mellberg as both defences dominated.

Dublin’s inclusion was Villa manager David O’Leary’s only option following the departure of Alpay after Ronny Johnsen pulled out with a toe injury.

The game was hardly a classic but at least it was an improvement in terms of entertainment value compared to Villa’s last outing with Birmingham in the second city derby.

Peter Whittingham again confirmed that Villa have a potential gem in their ranks and he has that seemingly rare asset in English football of being naturally left-footed.

He had been rested for the derby and looked full of energy as he produced a string of dangerous crosses from the wing and came closest to snatching three points for Villa when he hit the woodwork.

Everton’s biggest threat came from Kevin Campbell but their best player was David Weir who was rock solid at the back in a defence which chalked up its second successive clean sheet.

Before the kick-off Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel received the PFA Premiership Fans’ Player of the Month award for September.

But the visitors, searching for their first away win of the campaign, produced the crisper passing in the opening phase of the game.

Kevin Kilbane’s shot from 25 yards out contained plenty of power but did not trouble his former Sunderland colleague Thomas Sorensen.

At the other end Villa midfielder Gareth Barry cut inside from the left flank but his shot with his weaker right foot was screwed past the post.

It was Everton striker Campbell who came close to breaking the deadlock after 19 minutes when he met a corner from Thomas Gravesen and saw his header tipped onto the crossbar by Sorensen.

Angel ran to the near post to meet a low cross from Whittingham and deflected a low effort across the face of goal but past Nigel Martyn’s upright.

Whittingham jinked his way into the Everton penalty area but his eventual shot was disappointing as it flew straight at Martyn.

A mediocre game was crying out for someone with the skill of Rooney to enliven proceedings but when he tried his luck from 35 yards out his shot flew hopelessly wide.

Campbell again went close to finding a way through the Villa defence with a left-footed drive which was only just too high after Kilbane had turned the ball back into his path.

Villa started to build up some momentum in the final stages of the half and the woodwork denied the impressive Whittingham his first Premiership goal after 36 minutes.

Whittingham took a pass from Barry in his stride and his low curling shot beat the dive of Martyn but cannoned to safety off the post.

O’Leary made a halt-time substitution, bringing on Thomas Hitzlsperger for Mark Kinsella who had taken a knock towards the end of the opening period.

Hitzlsperger tried an ambitious attempt on goal with a free-kick from the right of the Everton penalty area but it curled wide.

Villa were fired up and skipper Mellberg met a deep corner from Hitzlsperger but his header was easily dealt with by Martyn.

The home crowd had something to cheer about at last and Angel deflected an attempted shot from Hitzlsperger wide.

Whittingham was still posing a threat and he picked out a run by Angel but his first touch let him down.

Hitzlsperger had adopted a shoot on sight policy which brought him several spectacular goals last season and the German Under-21 player was not far wide of the mark with a low left-footed drive.

Rooney had his first sniff of a goal when he was inches away from connecting with a low Kilbane centre.

Then Angel met a deep and powerfully struck centre from Darius Vassell but was unable to direct his curling header on target.

After 70 minutes Everton boss Moyes took off Campbell and replaced him with Duncan Ferguson who was quickly booked for dissent.