Lambert breathes a sigh of relief but Lerner is
PAUL LAMBERT guided Aston Villa to a ‘massive’ victory over Hull that saw the club all but secure their Premier League safety but admitted he was in the dark about owner Randy Lerner’s long-term intentions.
An Andreas Weimann brace ensured Jordan Bowery’s own-goal would not prove decisive after Ashley Westwood’s early opener and relief engulfed the stadium.
Lambert left the players to parade Villa Park on a lap of thanks after the final whistle and must now wait on a statement from American Lerner about any possible sell off.
Lambert said: ‘If the players can come through that they can come through everything. I thought we deserved to win.
‘The chairman will come out and say what he’s going to say. I don’t know what he’s going to say. In a few weeks I’m pretty sure people will find out.’
Amid all the money talk swirling around Villa, it is ironic that a player who cost nothing should rise to the fore. Weimann came to Villa from Vienna as a 16-year-old seven seasons ago before progressing through the club’s academy. ‘Andi was brilliant,’ said Lambert. ‘His two goals are long overdue given his work ethic.’
Former Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce will have instructed his Hull team to frustrate the hosts for as long as possible. But that plan was gone in 60 seconds.
Gabriel Agbonlahor waltzed past Liam Rosenior, barged over Curtis Davies and found Weimann in the box with his cross. The Austrian’s air-shot looked calamitous but then he passed to Westwood, whose finish into the corner showed a clam head.
By happy chance, it was the 1,000 Premier League goal scored at Villa Park.
But the run left Agbonlahor injured and in the 24th minute he had to be replaced by Jordan Bowery, a £500,000 purchase from Chesterfield who had not scored in 19 previous games.
The turn of events looked disastrous when Bowery put the ball in his own net four minutes after coming on. Tom Huddlestone slipped a free-kick to Rosenior and his cross was diverted in by the Villa striker.
Brad Guzan was called upon to save a brilliant left-foot strike from Huddlestone before Villa
opened up their cushion. Four minutes before half-time, Fabian Delph’s corner sparked pinball in the Hull goalmouth as Nathan Baker was twice denied, first by Nikica Jelavic, then by a combination of Steve Harper and crossbar. The ball finally came Weimann’s way and he nodded in.
Then in the third minute of added time Bowery made amends for his earlier error when he floated the perfect cross for Weimann to glance the ball inside the far post.
‘We were so sloppy and awful in our defending,’ said Bruce. ‘We didn’t show that resilience.’
Bowery excelled further in the second half, twice testing Harper with driven shots and Villa were able to see the match to its finish comfortably, after a season that has been anything but. aSton Villa (5-3-2): Guzan; Lowton, Vlaar, Baker, Clark, Bertrand; Albrighton (El Ahmadi 76min), Westwood, Delph; Weimann (Bacuna 82), Agbonlahor (Bowery 24). Subs (not used): Steer, Sylla, Bowery, Holt, Robinson. hull (4-4-2): Harper; Rosenior, Chester (Bruce 43), Davies, Figueroa; Elmohamady, Livermore, Huddlestone, Meyler (Quinn 45); Jelavic (Sagbo 70), Long. Subs (not used): Bruce, Koren, Fryatt, Jakupovic, Boyd. RefeRee: M Dean.