TERRY’S ONE GAME FROM PREMIER LEAGUE
Dogged Villa earn shot at big time
ASToN Villa won the European Cup on May 26 in 1982 … and 36 years on they will hope the date carries significance again.
Villa are heading for Wembley to face Fulham in the Championship play- off final after coming through a contest that drained legs and minds.
Holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, Villa were never going to be in for anything other than a thorough examination from Tony Pulis’s side.
There were plenty of anxious moments, not least three minutes from time when Villa were fortunate referee Mike Dean only booked goalkeeper Sam Johnstone for handling outside the area to stop what appeared to be a goalbound shot from Adama Traore. Stewart Downing, another Villa- ex, then smacked the bar with his free-kick.
But ultimately Villa deserved to progress to the £170million match. They showed great endeavour and were determined that if they could not break Boro down, they would not concede.
James Chester was immaculate against the manager who deemed him inadequate for West Bromwich Albion. John Terry was outstanding, too, and the Villa captain will sign for another season if they go up.
Villa manager Steve Bruce wants to stay on whatever but knows another season in the Championship will entail significant cost-cutting. Bruce endured a terrible personal time recently, losing both his father and mother in the space of 88 days, but has carried on his duties with great dignity and drive.
Two of Bruce’s four promotions to the Premier League, with Birmingham and Hull, came via the play-offs and given the professionalism of his side in this semi-final you would not bet against him getting a hat-trick, even against a fine Fulham side.
Villa fans certainly believe, invading the pitch at the end amid a fusillade of claret and blue flares and carrying Jack Grealish off on their shoulders.
‘As a one-off it’s a fantastic way to go up,’ said Bruce of the final to come. ‘I still would have rather finished second and be sitting on a beach, a bit red.
‘We have to recover and to win it we are going to have to play very, very well, that’s for sure. Let’s enjoy it. Bring it on.’
Bruce conceded his team got lucky with Dean’s decision and Pulis said: ‘He’s a Premier League referee with lots of experience and you’d expect him to get those decisions right. I thought it was the wrong decision.’
But Pulis did say justice had been served by the third and fourth-placed teams heading to the showpiece fixture.
As you would expect from a Pulis team, Boro were extremely disciplined and spread nerves around a packed Villa Park by keeping the hosts at bay. But though they needed a goal, they were cautious and it was a curious call by Pulis to replace striker Britt Assombalonga with 20 minutes to go.
Boro finished the game without a shot on target — except, possibly, Adama’s effort — while Mo Besic wasted a good chance by shooting wide.
Boro’s Darren Randolph was the busier goalkeeper. on the hour it looked for all the world as though Lewis Grabban would covert Albert Adomah’s cross but Randolph managed to fend away the close-range effort with his feet. Ten minutes later Grabban shot from 30 yards that needed a palm over from Randolph. The Boro goalkeeper was at it again 15 minutes from time, diving at full stretch to stop a long-range Grealish strike.
A tantalising match against Fulham awaits.