SOBS ON VILLA

The Lads popped down to Villa for another Sunday start, and ended up on the wrong end of seven goals. For the TV viewers it would have been an absolute blast. For us, it was a really disappointing afternoon with three of the goals being spotted in their making by us in the seats.

Having endured the lengthy international/FA Cup break, games have arrived like Anthony Gordon - thick and fast. Bishop v Blyth Town in Saturday, the Lads beating Spurs on Sunday, Shildon v Stockton in the Durham Challenge Cup in Tuesday - handily at Bishop because of SAFC U21 v Blackburn in the Premier League Cup at our place (4-2 and a final against Watford) then the Lads at Villa. Five in nine days - that's more like it!

Away from real football, it's been announced that the World Cup Final will have a 25 minute halftime show featuring Coldplay - and probably end with a medal for Trump. If they're trying to kill the game they're making a pretty good job of it. Hopefully it's nonsense.

After a couple of nights in Liverpool to warm up (long story) there was time for a couple of cocktails in the fanzone with some Villa mates, then we were in.

Roefs

Mukiele Alderete O'Nien Reinildo 

Xhaka (c) Sadiki

Rigg Diarra Le Fee

Brobbey

...and a bench of Ellborg, Hume, Ballard, Talbi, Isidor, Mayenda, Cirkin, Geertruida, and H. Jones.

In the blue, presumably to mimic Birmingham and wind Villa up (no other reasonable explanation, stripes next time, please) we attacked the end to the left of our fans and kicked off. We'd barely had time to work out who was playing where when a cross came in for Villa's right, we all thought "that's on Watkins's head" and it was, at the back post, and we were a goal down.

Boo. Two bloody minutes.

However, we sorted ourselves out and Rigg scuffed one wide a minute later, before Enzo had one saved. With Rigg really looking the business on the right we began to dominate proceedings and won a corner on the right as we passed it about impressively. 

Rigg found space to the right of their box, had a look up and curled an absolute beauty across Martinez and in. Nine minutes, 1-1, gerrin.

Some good shielding by Nordi won us a goal kick, but it was quite often Xhaka who was our deepest player. Another corner on the right went short to Rigg and back to Xhaka, but the return was too high.

We alternated between three and seven at the back as we matched the home side, but with the quality of player in their side there was always the chance of something going against us. 

... and it happened on 36 when a cross flew in from their left and Watkins flew in just ahead of Luke to head in - although most of us in my little part of the West Midlands thought it was an OG.

We had another corner, and a free that Sadiki got to only have his effort blocked for another corner. We'd been getting into their half well enough, but Brobbey was struggling to make an impact - either we weren't getting it to his feet or Villa were blocking the routes to those feet. Two added minutes were played out, with many commenting that the ref was letting a lot of pushing go unpunished - perhaps Luke is the only one of us to indulge in those "dark arts" but a decade ago Villa could have been down to eight by the break.

OK, perhaps an exaggeration - but only just.

No changes for the second half, but after starting well (for a minute or so) we were all at sea when Rogers pounced on more slack marking to make it 3-1.

There were times, and many of them, in our recent history when we'd have folded and let in a hatful. Like at Villa Park in 2013 when it ended up 6-1 - but thankfully we're made of sterner stuff nowadays. We clawed our way back into the fray, but the last 30 yards were the problem, as our passes into that area didn't find their marks - overhit, usually. 

On 63, on came Talbi for Rigg (I wouldn't have done that), Ballard for a limping Alderete, and Hume for Reinildo. Big Dan was involved immediately, pulling off a great tackle in the D, then Le Fee had one saved at the near post, although we didn't get the corner we thought we deserved. More end to end stuff ensued, then Regis responded to our thoughts about BB and swapped him for the more agile Isidor with six to go. A minute later, Hume drove into the box from the left, opened himself up, and planted a right footer across Martinez and in. A mirror image of Rigg's goal, sort of. 2-3, game very much on. 

Back in the game, and our tails were about as up as they could be and the Doug Ellis stand was fairly bouncing. Less than a minute later a pass was slotted down the inside right channel for Issy to chase, and although Martinez slipped, that made no difference to Wilson's cool finish. 

3-3. Bonkers. Absolutely bonkers.

We won a corner on the right as seven added minutes were announced but we played it short and Villa kept us out - for a while. Diarra chased another one as we clicked and got our passes through, but his dink from just inside the box was slapped away by Martinez on the penalty spot. Bugger.

... and we were still cursing that when Villa, in the shape of Abraham, burst into our box and it was 4-3. Fourth minute of added time. Aggghhhh!

We still could have drawn it, Villa still could have added another but when the whistle went our Lads simply collapsed onto the turf. In terms of effort you couldn't have asked for more - if only we'd got our marking in the box sorted out, and likewise our passing into the final third - the latter in the first hour. After that it was fine.

A bitter pill to swallow and plenty of time to swallow it on the tortuous bus journey away from the ground. 

Man of the Match? Definitely Rigg before he went off, Xhaka in the last half hour.

Rigg it is.