FOOTBALL Live

Saturday May 3, 2008 Finished Villa Park

Logo 0 - Wigan Athletic 2

Aston Villa

Wigan Athletic

  • Valencia 52’, 63’
  1. Wigan ensure their survival

    Wigan ensure their survival

    Luis Valencia's second-half double brought Wigan a precious 2-0 win at Aston Villa, a result which secured their Premier League status next season. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Aston Villa
    • Wigan Athletic
    • 90' All over at Villa Park, and WIGAN WILL PLAY IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE NEXT SEASON! A performance of true grit and guts. They deserve it. Thanks for joining me this afternoon!
    • 87' AND ANOTHER ONE. Josip Skoko replaces Palacios.
    • 85' Another change for Wigan. Heskey is off, and Antoine Sibierski comes on.
    • 79' Villa can't cut through Wigan here. They've failed to create a decent opening since conceding the second.
    • 76' Change for Wigan. Marlon King is on to replace Bent, who's been excellent.
    • 72' Another change for Villa. Marlon Harewood replaces Bouma, as Martin O'Neill goes for broke.
    • 70' Valencia through again...and his shot is well saved by Scott Carson.
    • 67' Agbonlahor's shot is tipped over by Kirkland!
    • 63' Meanwhile, time to catch you up on a change made just before the goal. Knight was replaced by Patrik Berger.
    • 63' GOOOOOAAALLLL! And this time it's a cracker! Valencia chests the ball down, drives forward and smashes the ball home from 20 yards. 2-0!
    • 57' Villa are going at it here, but they can't fashion a decent opening.
    • 54' Brown gets booked for a scrappy foul on Young. Needless.
    • 52' GOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!! Would you believe it! Antonio Valencia lets fly after cutting in from the right and - via a quite ridiculous deflection off Koumas - Wigan have a goal!
    • 48' Barry with a cross, which becomes a shot...Kirkland with a good save to tip over. He punches clear the corner that follows.
    • 46' And we're away in the second half. No changes to report. Villa start with early pressure.
    • 45' Half-time at Villa Park, and there's really not much to say. Let's just forget that 45 and start again in 15.
    • 44' Palacios is the latest player to ABSOLUTELY LET RIP from long-range. Wide.
    • 42' It's not a classic, not yet anyway. But there's plenty of time for both teams to get going.
    • 40' Reo-Coker with a mis-hit cross that Kirkland has to watch carefully. The sun's in his eyes and he'd donned a fetching beige cap.
    • 37' Agbonlahor with a decent header, and Kirkland is forced to push it over.
    • 35' PIIIIIIIINGGGG!!!! Great hit from Bent from fully 40 yards, but's it's wide.
    • 33' Villa a corner of their own! Soon-to-be-departed Barry takes it, great catch from Kirkland.
    • 31' CORNER! Yes, that's right a corner! And it goes to Wigan. Jason Koumas swings it in and the ball falls for MARCUS BENT...who shoots wide.
    • 29' Good work from Mellberg, but Carew can't control his curling cross.
    • 27' Gabriel Agbonlahor beats the offside trap, but his first touch is poorer and his shot poorer still.
    • 25' Excellent work from Wilfred Bouma on the left flank, and Barry does well to meet his cross and send a header goalwards...good save from Kirkland.
    • 23' Barry bursts forward but his pass is poor, and Wigan counter.
    • 20' Barry blasts one high and wide. "BARRY PLZ STAY" reads a banner in the crowd.
    • 18' This is a fairly physical clash so far, both sides are putting it about. No real chances to speak of.
    • 16' Scharner goes through the back of John Carew, and Villa have a free-kick. Ashley Young whips it in and Zat Knight's header is saved by Chris Kirkland.
    • 15' Paul Scharner's shot is blocked by Martin Laursen
    • 13' Olof Mellberg with a crunching tackle on Wilson Palacios. No yellow card.
    • 10' Good spell for Wigan. Heskey is holding the ball up well and their midfield are closing Villa down frantically.
    • 8' Stiliyan Petrov catches Emile Heskey as both leap for a header. Heskey shakes himself down, he'll be ok.
    • 6' Wigan could go a long way to securing their Premier League survival today. Villa, meanwhile, can keep alive hopes of Uefa Cup action next year. Wigan are defending well so far.
    • 4' Villa with the early running. Gareth Barry slides in John Carew, but he's offside.
    • 1' And we're under way in the midlands. Villa go with the same side that drew with Everton last week. Wigan have made one change, Titus Bramble comes in at the back.
    • - Good afternoon and welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE coverage of Aston Villa against Reading in the penultimate round of the Premier League.

  • Summary

    • 63' GOOOOOAAALLLL! And this time it's a cracker! Valencia chests the ball down, drives forward and smashes the ball home from 20 yards. 2-0!
    • 52' GOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!! Would you believe it! Antonio Valencia lets fly after cutting in from the right and - via a quite ridiculous deflection off Koumas - Wigan have a goal!
    • 25' Excellent work from Wilfred Bouma on the left flank, and Barry does well to meet his cross and send a header goalwards...good save from Kirkland.

Live Team Line-Up

  • Aston Villa

    Manager: Martin O'Neill

    Captain: Gareth Barry

    On the Field

    • Carson
    • Mellberg
    • Laursen
    • Knight Substitution Out (55′)
    • Bouma Substitution Out (69′)
    • Reo-Coker
    • Petrov
    • Barry
    • Agbonlahor
    • Young
    • Carew

    Subs

    • Berger Substitution In55′
    • Taylor
    • Harewood Substitution In59′
    • Routledge
    • Salifou

    Injured

    • Davies
    • Gardner

    Suspended

    None

  • Wigan Athletic

    Manager: Steve Bruce

    On the Field

    • Kirkland
    • Boyce
    • Bramble
    • Scharner
    • Kilbane
    • Valencia Goals×2
    • Palacios Substitution Out (87′)
    • Brown Yellow Card
    • Koumas
    • Bent Substitution Out (76′)
    • Heskey Substitution Out (85′)

    Subs

    • Sibierski Substitution In85′
    • Skoko Substitution In87′
    • King Substitution In76′
    • Taylor
    • Pollitt

    Injured

    • Edman

    Suspended

    None