OLLIE TURNS UP HEAT ON BRUCE
THE last time Steve Bruce felt this hurt atvilla Park, a cabbage had been hurled in his direction. Last night may have been more painful. That incident involving the infamous vegetable ended Bruce’s tenure in the claret-and-blue half of Birmingham three years ago.
And if he is not careful, his dream job in charge of his hometown club could end in the same sorry way.
A run of seven league games without victory comfortably turned into eight as the Geordie returned to the scene of his greatest managerial embarrassment – and suffered another dollop of it.
First-half goals from Ollie Watkins and Bertrand Traore compounded the gloom that has descended on Tyneside ever since the club’s last victory – against strugglingwest Brom in mid-december.
Toss into the mix exits in both cup competitions and these are testing times at St James’ Park.
The visitors’ 60-year-old boss might have been unfortunate in one sense.
Thevilla side assembled by Dean Smith has confidence oozing through it and is set up to play on the front foot.
With skipper Jack Grealish pulling the strings, the hosts were happy to play an open and expansive game that was being demanded by the Toon Army.
The first real action of the game offered a taste of things to come.
Matt Targett flashed a centre across the face of goal that Watkins just failed to meet.
Three minutes later, the same combination tried again.this time it brought the opening goal.
Grealish waited for Targett to create an overlap.the left-back
obliged – and so too did Magpies defender Fabian Schar who half-sliced the ball up in the air.
When it came downwatkins reached it first, nodding over Karl Darlow and into the net.
It took the assistant referee’s flag to wipe out a second for Watkins after Grealish had again played a pivotal part in setting his team-mate in the clear.
Villa’s second arrived just before half-time. Grealish’s corner was cleared to the edge of the box where Traore recyled possession back to his skipper. His captain played the ball back to him and he allowed the pass to run across his body before firing into the net with his right foot.