West Bromwich Albion 0 - Aston Villa 0

Dave Watkin:

At The Hawthorns today, Albion narrowly failed to complete a top flight double over Aston Villa, a feat not achieved for close on fifty years. However, the point ensures that we will finish as top West Midlands club for the first time since 1978/79.

Roy Hodgson named an unchanged side; Marc-Antoine Fortun? returning as substitute.

After a full blooded start, the first serious Albion attack almost led to a goal. Shane Long took on and beat Dunne for pace and after his cross was deflected just behind Odemwingie, the striker managed a clever back-heel, which the alert Given did well to block. At the other end it was Ben Foster?s turn to shine. First he got down low to smother a shot on the turn from Herd; then he was quickly off his line to brilliantly save at the feet of Agbonlahor; finally he blocked a shot from the same player with his legs. The last action of the half saw an in-swinging free kick from Dorrans beat Given only for Heskey to acrobatically head clear off the goal-line. Interspersed with the action had been two Villa bookings; after Warnock and Hutton both crudely hacked down Albion players.

From the first corner after the break, came the big talking point of the game. Graham Dorrans crossed deep, Liam Ridgewell headed on target and Hutton thrust out his arm to knock the ball over the bar. It was the clearest of penalties, in full view of referee Clattenburg, yet apparently neither he nor the linesman saw it. On the break, N?Zogbia had a snap shot well saved by Foster; before Villa picked up two more bookings and Albion came much closer. A shot from Thomas was trapped by Peter Odemwingie who, on the turn, curled a shot towards the top corner, only for Cuellar, on the line, to head to safety. Albion were getting on top and an Olsson header skimmed the bar and landed on top of the net. In the closing minutes either side might have won the game. Villa had Albion?s defence struggling from a hoof into the area and when the ball ran to Clark, his low shot was blocked by a sliding Olsson. When play switched back to the Brummie Road end, Chris Brunt found Fortun?, he fed Jerome Thomas, who picked out Peter Odemwingie at the far post. The striker met the cross perfectly on the half-volley, but somehow Given got across his goal to keep the ball out literally as it was about to cross the line. There was still time for one last glorious attempt from Albion. Brunt fed Fortun? inside the box, his shot was blocked but the ball ran to the on-rushing Jones. As he hit a fierce drive towards the near post, it swerved at the last moment, but into the side netting rather than the goal.

After a fiercely competitive match, one might say a draw was the fairest result, but Albion can feel aggrieved that their second half display did not earn the three points. The Hutton incident was a clear penalty and would surely have resulted in a straight red (or a second yellow) had the referee awarded it. Villa could point to two appeals of their own, but in the case of Brunt in the first half and Olsson in the second, it was ball to hand and a spot kick would have been extremely harsh.

Once again our on-loan keeper Ben Foster was superb and thoroughly deserves another man-of-the-match award ? sign him up! Jonas Olsson stood out, although his defensive colleagues all performed well. One or two players weren?t at their best, particularly Mulumbu and Long. We gave away the ball too often, although credit Villa for harassing the man in possession. That harassment was not always legal and a stronger referee might have clamped down earlier or maybe produced a red card. The luckiest man over the two derbies must be Alan Hutton who should have been sent-off in both games; for the violent tackle on Long at Villa Park and his ?goalkeeping? antics at The Hawthorns. Will Villa go down? We can only hope so!

SCORERS: None

ALBION FORMRATE: FAIR

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: BEN FOSTER

Our last double over Aston Villa was in 1973/74, in Division Two, when we followed up a 2-0 home win, with a 3-1 victory at Villa Park; Tony Brown scored four of the goals and John Wile the other. Our only top flight double was in 1964/65, when Gerry Howshall netted the only goal at Villa Park before, on Saturday 27th February, goals from Jeff Astle, a Bobby Cram penalty and Bobby Hope, earned a 3-1 home win. We finished with two points more than the Villains. If the visitors extend their current run of eight matches without a win and fail to avoid relegation, the finale is unlikely to be as dramatic as the last match of the 1958/59 season. On Wednesday 29th April 1959, Villa visited The Hawthorns needing a win to stay up. With two minutes to go they led through a 65th minute goal, but then Ronnie Allen fired through a crowd of players and past Nigel Simms into the bottom corner. On the rain-soaked Brummie Road, we celebrated as despairing Villa fans wept. The team that momentous night was: Potter, Howe, Williams S, Robson, Kennedy, Barlow, Hogg, Jackson, Allen, Kevan, Campbell. Today?s was our 136th league match against Villa; in total we?ve recorded 45 victories to their 63, with 28 matches drawn and a goal difference of 184 to 218. We?ve won away sixteen times, but only matched that with a home win twice, playing out a draw six times and losing the other eight.

Albion are 10th with 46 points; on course for a 49 point finish. The Baggies have a nine point advantage over Villa and are still twenty-two points better off than Wolves.

Didcot Baggie:

The bloke next to me said it felt like a game lost rather than drawn and it certainly was a lack-lustre performance from the Baggies who, it has to be said, have Foster to thank for this not being a loss. As in other recent games we struggled to play the ball out of defence and gave away possession too easily. We missed Fortune and his hold up play and of course the energy of Morrison.

• Foster - In a great patch of form - big clubs must be paying attention now. Sign him up! Deserved Man of the Match.
• Jones - Gets forward well, but can be caught out at the back. Good squad player?
• Ridgewell - Looked off the pace today. Gave away the ball. Another squad player.
• Jonas - Usual tower of strength in the centre. Some poor play forward but absolutely key to the team.
• McAuley - Great partner for Jonas. Did little wrong and some decisive challenges
• Mulumbu - Not one of his best days. Got caught in possession several times. Still key however.
• Dorrans - Less dynamic than of late - perhaps instructed to hold back.
• Thomas - Should have taken Hutton on but time after time elected to go for the short pass. Beginning to fade?
• Brunt - I'm no great fan, but at least he showed some passion today.
• Odemwinge - Bad game. Offered little up front and lethargic. Perhaps we've seen the best of him.
• Long - Seemed to be off the pace and easily controlled by the Villa defence. Turning into a squad player rather than a first choice selection.
• Hodgson - He put out the best team he could. The lack of creativity up front is worrying but he can certainly get a team organised. We'll suffer if he goes.