HAPPY HOUR
Conor puts an end to Villa freefall as Grealish reigns supreme
PRINCE WILLIAM can now come out from behind one’s sofa at Sandringham.
Substitute Conor Hourihane’s goal ended Aston Villa’s horrid run of four consecutive Premier League defeats, and on a Royal estate in Norfolk their most famous supporter’s heir rage turned to relief.
In truth, Villa lived on their nerves and rode their luck, with England goalkeeper Tom Heaton’s pair of critical saves ultimately the difference between a feast of leftovers and cold turkey.
But let’s not be churlish: After the supine nature of their home defeat by Southampton five days earlier, they deserved a clean sheet for fighting spirit alone.
The locals reckon Heaton is the best keeper they have had in this parish since Brad Friedel.
And if any player gets kicked more often than skipper Jack Grealish, he will be decorated with a Victoria Cross for bravery.
Grealish, last man off the pitch after milking the Holte End’s adulation, earned a fatherly hug from manager Dean Smith, who had loitered by the tunnel to commend the best outfield player on the pitch.
Villa are still in the bottom three, and have another huge relegation battle at Watford tomorrow, but at least discovered some backbone.
If Grealish stays fit, and Heaton’s reflexes remain sharp, they might just have enough to stay up. But only just.
Norwich we can deal with in short order. They were unlucky to leave empty-handed.
But the writing is not just on the wall for the Canaries, it is trailed in plumes of smoke across the sky. They are going down.
It would have been a different story had Heaton not sprawled low to claw away Christoph Zimmermann’s header and flung himself in the way of a fierce Onel Hernandez half-volley.
The home side were also indebted to Douglas Luiz for a stupendous goal-line clearance to deny Alex Tettey.
The moment of quality that counted came eight minutes after Hourihane’s introduction from the bench – and Villa, inevitably, owed it to Grealish.
Picking his way into the box, Grealish and his twinkling feet were crowded out, but he still teed up Hourihane to sweep home his seventh goal of the season.
Norwich boss Daniel Farke was booked for his incendiary protest that Tom Trybull had been shoved “into the stand” by Ahmed Elmohamady at least 20 seconds earlier – although Villa had a lot to do before Hourihane’s clinical finish.
“This wasn’t just a small mistake by the referee,” groaned Farke. “It was an unbelievable mistake at this level.
“It feels like a joke that we have taken only one point from our last three games, but football can be cruel sometimes.
“My players left their hearts on the pitch. They played with bravery and commitment.”