No manager no points as Millwall maul Villa

ASTON VILLA were so ‘first-half good, second-half bad’ they might as well ask Sven GoranEriksson to be their new manager. Whether the ex-England boss is on Villa’s lengthy wishlist, or if David Moyes has checked into any Birmingham hotel, remains unknown.

But on this showing, Thierry Henry would do well to stay put in Belgium and Dwight Yorke issue a recall notice on any CVs emailed to Villa Park.

For 25 minutes of the post-Steve Bruce era Villa were magnificent, deservedly in front thanks to Tammy Abraham’s goal.

But once Shane Ferguson levelled for the Lions, the visitors faded and Jack Grealish went from the game’s most eye-catching performer to its most frustrated.

Tom Elliott’s goal, early in the second half, turned out to be a deserved winner for a Millwall team that had tasted victory just once previously in league action.

Kevin MacDonald, in his third spell as Villa’s caretaker, expects the international break to produce a replacement for Bruce, whose tenure was ended by Tuesday’s draw with Preston that began with a cabbage lobbed at his head and finished with a missed penalty.

“Everyone seems to say this club is in crisis but that is not the case,” the Scot insisted. “This club is getting on a good standing once again, with some good people.

“I don’t know the owners but I have met them to say ‘hello’. They are obviously very intelligent people because why would you buy a football club... that is where you lose your money. The chief executive is obviously working hard to bring in the right person.” Worse things than cabbages have been flung at the Den over the years although Millwall’s aggressive start initially cost them.

Elliott was lucky not to have been sent off for clattering Neil Taylor but when Shaun Williams fouled Grealish in the seventh minute, Abraham was on the end of Conor Hourihane’s free-kick to open the scoring with a volley.

Villa camped in the Millwall half until a determined Ferguson got to Jake Cooper’s knock-down to register his first goal in 14 months, off Alan Hutton.

It was more and more Millwall after that. Abraham faded while Grealish delighted the home fans by repeatedly trying but failing to get Villa going.

Elliott’s goal was pure Millwall – lashing home in a crowded box after some frantic head tennis. The home fans loved it and so did boss Neil Harris (above), especially as his side is now out of the drop zone.

“The players deserved that,” he said. “They have had horrendous luck. We showed character to come from behind. That looked like a Millwall team at the Den.”