Wolves 1 - 2 Aston Villa

They say a defeat in football can be a real kick in the teeth. To put it in cookery terms, this match contained half a tablespoon of Villa, half a tablespoon of Wolves, with a pinch of misjustice.

First half belonged to Villa with Marc Albrighton leading the onslaught, ripping Stephen Ward apart to the point where he had to come off after half an hour. But we had our chances through David Edwards, how I knew in my heart, would miss. Steven Fletcher and Kevin Doyle brought out good stops out of Brad Friedel. But just over halfway into the half, David Jones gave the ball away trying to ghost through two Villa men, the ball was sprayed wide to Albrighton who crossed to the far post for Stewart Downing to catch Kevin Foley napping and tap in from a measly few yards.

Second half, we started better and did so throughout the half. Elokobi came on for Wardy and neutralized Albrighton and managed to bring Matt Jarvis into the game a bit more and it paid off when Jarvo put in a striker's dream of a cross, only for nobody to get on the end of it and bamboozle Friedel to make it all square. Before that, Stephen Warnock looked like and should have recieved a second yellow card for a second reckless challenge on Doyle and as much as it's great to see Mark Halsey back officiating, he had a good game, but he got this decision wrong and it was costly as proved later on. Just as though the game was heading for a draw, Downing sucked Richard Stearman inside, leaving our right flank vulnerable for Warnock to whip in the ball for Heskey to head home. As good a header as it was, Christophe Berra should have done a lot better. And just as if that left a bitter taste in our mouths, Steve Sidwell made a nasty challenge on Adlene Guedioura which left him in a heap and had to be carried off to the touchline as we finished the game with 10 men.

It's all good saying we played well, but it's the points on the board that do the talking. This is our third defeat in a row with the weekend's results elsewhere and table reading negatively, and we go to the DW next on Saturday and a win is crucial just to stop the rot before we retire to the international break.

'Grobs'

LINE-UPS

　

WOLVES (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Foley (Stearman, 73), Craddock, Berra, Ward (Elokobi, 39); Edwards (Guedioura, 81), Henry, Jones, Jarvis; Fletcher, Doyle. Unused subs: Hennessey, Ebanks-Blake, Bent, Milijas.

VILLA (4-4-1-1): Friedel; Luke Young, Cuellar, Collins, Warnock; Albrighton (Agbonlahor, 67), Petrov (Sidwell, 85), Reo-Coker, Downing; Ashley Young; Heskey. Unused subs: Guzan, Ireland, Davies, Bannan, Lichaj.

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