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Date: Mon 5th February 2001, 7.00pm. Venue: Villa Park  Conditions: Dry and reasonably mild. Pitch slightly bare in the centre but held up well, with no clarts.

Aston Villa	1 - 3	Newcastle United
Half time:	0 - 1
Score Sheet:
Berks (88)		Lua Lua (20) Green (59) G.Caldwell (62)
	Teams
Peter Enckelman Stephen Evans John McGrath (not that one!) Michael Standing Danny Haynes Thomas Hitzlsperger Gavin Melaugh Andrew Packer Richard Walker Julian Joachim David Ginola	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11	John Karelse Andy Griffin Olivier Bernard David Beharall Gary Caldwell Brian Kerr Stuart Green Jamie McClen Lomana Lua Lua Pablo Bonvin Pedro Dimas
Substitutes:
Jay Smith for Packer (50) David Berks for Standing (63) Liam Folds for McGrath (79)		Ryan McGuffie for Bernard (66) Mark Boyd for Jamie McClen (70) Colin McMenamin for Bonvin (76)
Subs not used:
Andrew Marfell Neil Tarrant		Phil Pringle
Bookings:
Haynes (10) foul on Bernard Evans (73) foul on Bonvin		Bernard (27) foul on Standing
Referee: R Pollock. Managed to infuriate the locals with a number of pro-Newcastle decisions, but there wasn't an awful lot to get excited about.
Attendance: estimated at 400. This season, spectators were housed in the Doug Ellis Stand Lower, as the final pieces of building work continue in the Main Stand.

20 mins. After a well-executed cross field ball from Bernard had opened up Villa down the right, Stuart Green just failed to react to Bonvin's cross to shoot for goal. Ginola then needlessly lost possession aloowing McClen to thread a pass into the box, from where Lomana Lua Lua advanced to smash the opener past the keeper from 10 yards.  1-0

Half time: Aston Villa 0 Newcastle 1

59 mins. Good interpassing from Dimas and Bonvin on the United left flank set up Stuart Green with a relatively routine finish, hitting a low shot home from 15 yards. A fine team goal.  2-0

62 mins. After a Green corner was met by a near post Bernard header  and spectacularly turned away by the keeper, another corner from the same side was awarded. Green this time played the ball long and it dropped towards the back post, where a delighted Gary Caldwell was on hand to crash home from close range.  3-0

88 mins. A cross from Villa sub Smith evaded two defenders and fell to David Berks just outside the six yard area, on the United right. He comprehensively beat Karelse with a first time volley which flew back into the opposite corner of the net.  3-1

Full time: Aston Villa 1 Newcastle 3

0 mins From the kickoff, it was noticeable that Ginola had taken up a position in central defence as part of a four man backline for the Villa.

5 mins First noteworthy chance fell to the home side, as Walker evaded Griffin and Caldwell to break into the United area. His shot from 15 yards was parried by Karelse, and when the rebound gave Walker a second chance, he fluffed it.

7 mins What should have been the opening goal, when Kerr swung a pass out wide to the right for Bonvin to square it across the Villa box. Lua Lua looked to be well-placed, but failed to steer home from close range with the keeper struggling.

20 mins Newcastle score (see above)

30 mins More goalmouth action from the toon, as Griffin powered down the right before pushing the ball on to McClen. He checked back and allowed Lua Lua to embark on another run, waltzing past Ginola before curling his shot wide of the keeper's left hand upright.

31 mins An absolute piledriver of a shot from Dimas, who played a 1-2 with Lua Lua before unleashing his effort from a narrow angle outside the box, the Villa keeper doing well to parry away the shot.
  
39 mins Midfield battles being won with regularity by United at this stage, and the busy Kerr again prompted another attack, exchanging passes with McClen before setting Lua Lua away on the right. He crossed into the area but an alert Ginola was on hand to chest the ball back to his keeper.

43 mins Bernard joined the action, pumping a long ball down the left-hand touchline for McClen to chase. Although the pass had forced the United midfielder almost to the corner flag, Ginola caught him from behind, giving away a needless free kick.

45 mins Pressure from Villa with Standing laying a through in to the advancing Melaugh. However Dimas was tracking back and cleared the danger.

53 mins After the opening exchanges of the second period had been dominated by Villa, McGrath's corner ball was drifted out to the edge of the United box towards a waiting Ginola. The familiar chest control was there, but the volley ended up bouncing among the empty seats of the Holte End, much to the player's disgust.

59 mins Newcastle score (see above)

61 mins A Green corner was met by Bernard, who powered a header in that Enckelman did well to turn round the post. 

62 mins Newcastle score (see above)

64 mins Another stray pass from Ginola on the edge of his area allowed Bonvin a great chance as he was suddenly one on one with the keeper. However, he hesitated and Enckelman was able to come out and smother the danger.

69 mins Classic counter-attacking play from the Magpies, breaking up a Villa attack and then making headway upfield via a Dimas long ball out to Lua Lua on the right. He allowed Green to make a forward run down the centre before releasing a well-weighted ball infield to him. Unfortunately Green elected to try the spectacular shot when we had space to carry the ball forward, and his effort was nearer the corner flag than the goal.

74 mins Villa sub Berks broke down the United right as McGuffie was dragged out of position and a dangerous cross was en route to Walker in the centre before Dimas again popped up on cue to clear his lines.

75 mins More great interplay in midfield between Boyd, Griffin and Dimas, setting up another long distance shooting opportunity for Green, that was slightly more of a danger to the Villa goal than his previous effort.

82 mins Lua Lua tried to end the night as he'd begun it, with a goal, but his dance through the defence and into the area ended with his effort billowing the side netting.  

88 mins Villa score (see above)   

Tommy Craig said: 

Ginola, the French flouncer would only say: 

"I am Zen and people will have to take me the way I am...."

C 'est magnifique - an apt description of Newcastle's performance, certainly not the fading glory of a certain ex Magpie Monsieur.

Taking into the account the fact that our opponents are having a similarly poor season to us, this heartening performance and long-overdue win was thoroughly deserved and exactly what has been needed for weeks.

A sprinkling of senior players (Lua Lua and Griffin) certainly aided the cause, but the victory stemmed from the midfield taking a grip on things from the off, and never allowing Villa to settle into any sort of pattern. An uninformed observer could very well have assumed that the team in black and white were actually playing at home.

Playing Ginola at the back and a trialist upfield seemed like a barmy decision, and Joachim didn't seem interested, leaving most of the work to the younger members of the Villa team who struggled. Improved displays from one or two of our lads also hinted at a favourable outcome early on, but the delight and relief of Gary Caldwell and the players after the third goal seemed evidence that a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders once the victory was assured.

Dimas caught the eye, both for his increasing confidence when attacking (and a cracker of a shot on goal), but also his willingness to help out in defence - something Mr Ginola never seemed very keen on before tonight.

Assuming the weather holds, a home game against Blackburn next week would seem to provide an ideal opportunity to get a winning run going, and judging by the way we pinged the ball around in the closing stages, smiles are back on faces and the confidence is flooding back.

PS - Lua Lua may yet have a career as winger, or a children's entertainer.....

Biffa

Reserves