Bruce discovers winning spill
JUST when they needed it, Aston Villa’s favourite opponents turned up.
Villa hadn’t won a game this year, but whenever they are at home to Derby it’s a certain victory.
Leandro Bacuna did his best to upset things when he barged a linesman and was sent off with minutes left and Villa under pressure, but the hosts held on.
This was their tenth successive home win against Derby, a run that began the year Roger Bannister did the mile in under four minutes back in 1954.
But this season has been more like an unrelenting marathon for Villa. Manager Steve Bruce was feeling the heat as Villa dropped from tenth on Boxing Day to near the Championship relegation zone.
But the ex-defender reckons he’s got the answer to follow up their first win in 11 games in all competitions, with another at home to Bristol City on Tuesday night.
“I was having a bit of tea with my daughter yesterday and the waiter dropped a pint of blackcurrant and lemonade all over her,” said Bruce.
“For a young lady that’s not very good, especially blackcurrant. It sticks to everything. She was head to toe in it.
“But we’ve won so I’m going to pour a pint of blackcurrant and lemonade over her next week, tip it right over her head, whatever it takes to change our luck.
“Aimee, you are in trouble next week.”
It was central defender James Chester’s first goal since his £8m move from a few miles up the road at West Brom that ended Villa’s misery.
The goal came Chester’s way because Derby declined to get the ball clear from Henri Lansbury’s 25th-minute corner. Jonathan Kodjia had a go at it first and as Derby’s defence didn’t react, Chester was able to knock the ball up off his knee, on to his head and in from a few yards.
Derby manager Steve McClaren watched from the main stand, no doubt muttering a few things to himself about the way the goal went in, and his team’s lazy football brought him to the touchline. Derby roused themselves with the boss so near and took the game to Villa, finishing the first half on top but still a goal down.
McClaren marched over to referee Andrew Madley as the teams came off at the break asking him why he had not given a penalty for Nathan Baker’s foul on Darren Bent.
“Games hinge on decisions and it was a stonewall penalty,” said McClaren, whose play-off hopes have been wrecked by five league games without a win.
“I’ve seen it, Darren Bent can’t believe it and it’s won Villa the game. I don’t know how we lost it, we were so dominant.”
McClaren was quite controlled and respectful with his questioning, as his team were too respectful in what they asked of Villa.
Here was a team weak on confidence and frightened of its own shadow after their slump, but Derby did not give goalkeeper Sam Johnstone anything dangerous to save until 15 minutes from time when he turned over a Bent header. Andre Green could have taken the game totally away from Derby earlier with a diving header that hit the post.
There was little else Derby conjured up out of all their possession, even with Bacuna off the field for the last few minutes when he clashed with a linesman over a throw in he awarded to Derby.