It’s lift- off for Sherwood
TIM SHERWOOD was celebrating his fi rst win as Aston Villa manager last night when Christian Benteke converted a penalty in stoppage time.
It was a sweet moment for Sherwood, after defeats in his fi rst two matches in charge, as West Brom appeared to have ground out a point after Gabriel Agbonlahor had given Villa a fi rst- half lead.
But then West Brom’s England keeper Ben Foster came to Villa’s aid, bringing down Matt Lowton.
And Benteke was coolness itself as he side- footed the penalty low into the corner to give Villa their fi rst win in the Premier League since December 7 – and lift them out of the bottom three.
After a cagey start, Villa nearly took the lead courtesy of a Foster clanger. Benteke’s header found strike partner Agbonlahor and his shot on the turn was fumbled by the keeper but clawed back just before it crossed the line.
Despite their lack of goals and wins, it was the hosts who started to settle the better with Tom Cleverley clearing the bar with a long- range effort before Charles N’Zogbia’s free- kick went straight at Foster.
And Villa then broke the deadlock in the 22nd- minute. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan’s long kick was headed on by Benteke for Agbonlahor to run on behind and beat Foster for his fi rst goal since November. Sherwood showed his satisfaction by running down the touchline screaming with delight.
West Brom were struggling and when Agbonlahor got in behind their defence again, Joleon Lescott was on hand to clear off the line with Foster beaten. Villa also had penalty appeal claims waved away for the same move with TV replays suggesting Foster may also have brought down Agbonlahor.
The visitors failed to work Guzan in a poor fi rst- half display with in- form strikers Saido Berahino and Brown Ideye seeing little of the ball.
And Fabian Delph was inches away from giving Villa a 2- 0 half- time lead when his right- footed effort from the edge of the area came back off the post in stoppage time.
West Brom boss Tony Pulis will have been far from impressed by his side’s fi rst half offering but they showed little signs of improvement early in the second half. And Albion were having diffi culty handling a revitalised Agbonlahor who was brought down by Lescott to produce a booking. However Ashley Westwood’s follow- up free- kick fl ew over.
But the visitors missed a glorious chance to level with defender Craig Dawson heading over unmarked from Chris Brunt’s freekick at the other end.
Villa continued to look the more likely with Pulis’s side failing to live up to the displays produced during his fi rst two months in charge at the Hawthorns.
But then West Brom equalised in the 67th minute as Brunt’s corner was headed back by Lescott for Berahino to nod past the stranded Guzan. It was his 18th goal of the campaign.
They might have scored a second two minutes later as Berahino played in James Morrison, whose cross just failed to reach Ideye.
Villa could have regained the lead with substitute Jack Grealish volleying tamely at Foster from Alan Hutton’s cross before they did just that with Benteke’s last- gasp penalty winner.