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David O'Kelly was at Villa Park to see seventeen-year-old Micah Richards’ last-minute header force Villa into away replay.
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Sunday 19th February
F.A Cup 5th round
Aston Villa 1-1 Manchester City
Villa: Sorensen, Delaney, Samuel, Melburg (c), Barry, McCann, Baros, Millner, Davis, Hughes, Moore. Subs: Taylor, Hendrie, Angel, Ridgewell, Phillips.
City: James, Distin (c), Barton, Sibierski, Vassell, Musampa, Riera, Samaras, Dunne, Jordan, Richards. Subs: Weaver, Sommeil, Ireland, Croft, Wright-Phillips.
In a game that can be described as the epitome of FA Cup football, it was to be seventeen-year-old Micah Richards who was to capture the hearts of Manchester City fans and send them home with their cup dream firmly intact. However, the youngster’s dream second start for the senior team was, albeit slightly, marred by a yellow card for jumping into the fans both after he had scored and after the final whistle. Richards’ excitement was to boil over once more after the game in a BBC interview in which he swore live on television.
Despite Stuart Pearce’s rather blasé assessment of the youngster’s reactions, Richards must realise – after provoking a mini pitch invasion from the Mancunian support – that his inexperience will not always excuse such behaviour.
Before the game, David O’Leary had repeatedly expressed his bewilderment at his side’s unfortunate 2-1 loss to Newcastle one week prior yet, up until the last kick of the game, luck was certainly with the Irishman’s side.
City dominated the game in the first half, their packed-out allocated section creating the kind of atmosphere that intimidated the Villa players on their home turf. Darius Vassell was welcomed back to Villa Park in O’Leary’s programme notes – despite his principal role in City’s 3-1 destruction of Villa early in the season – and it was to the ex-Villa striker that the best two chances of the first half would fall. The first came after an important interception from Joey Barton and the second was a gift in the form a terrible Samuel back pass. On both occasions, however, Vassell failed to finish.
The away side continued to have the better of the first half; Samaras and Vassell in particular giving the Villa back four many problems and, although very often the final ball in the last third and some impressive Sorensen goalkeeping interfered, it looked only a matter of time before City took the lead.
For the Villa faithful, it took a dubious Slyvain Distin foul on Milan Baros and a following corner to set the ground alight; yet their strike force of Luke Moore and Milan Baros was lacking the support to make a real challenge on James’ goal.
The away side could certainly have entered the break two or three goals to the better and were left lamenting the selfishness of Vassell who refused to play in Siebierski who had occupied a good position on the right flank. After the game the City manager, Stuart Pearce, admitted frustration over the failure of his side to put away one of their many chances and predicted, correctly, at half time that Villa could only get better and, despite the vociferous City fans continuing to drive their team on as they had done in the first half, Villa emerged a different side in the second – an early James Milner drive from edge of the area capping a good period of pressure and served as an early warning sign for the visitors.
City began to respond and, with Musampa and Barton winning the midfield battle, still looked the better side and the former was unlucky to see a twenty-yard shot deflected wide in the opening stages of the second half.
After 65 minutes the so-far ineffective Luke Moore gave way to Angel and this aerial power looked to challenge the up until then undisputable hegemony of Dunne and Distin. Indeed, it was to be the physical presence of Angel which was to pay dividend as the forward was able to square to Steven Davis on 72 minutes whose through ball to Baros was finished off with style – the Czech international’s low finish the perfect way to silence the away-support jeers over the somewhat meagre 23,847 Villa Park attendance.
Luck seemed to be with the home side, their stoicism in defence paying off as McCann and Davis managed to slow the play down and finally began to control the game in midfield. City had failed to take advantage when they were on top and after the Villa goal were void of ideas.
Then the FA Cup decided to highlight why it is the most-loved domestic cup competition in the world. After an array of City chances it was a corner in the dying seconds of injury time which was to be headed home by an unmarked Richards – forcing Villa into a return leg at the City of Manchester stadium. The goal was no more than City deserved who will fancy their chances at home against a Villa side looking to reach the last eight for the first time in six years. Whoever does come out on top will face a tricky game against either Bolton or West Ham.
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