Post-mortem: Everton slip up, Martin O'Neill isn't downing tools and we've got West Ham next

Character and determination are good words to use when talking about yesterday. The support was excellent, the fight back was excellent and overall, while Martin O'Neill couldn't be more pleased, they are just words and while they're all nice words to use the fact of the matter is we dropped two points yesterday, although Everton fans will think they dropped two points also.

Yes, it was a great match to watch and when we got to it back to 3-3 I thought we were going to win but it didn't happen and well, we sort of knew we were not going to get three points yesterday and as soon as the team was announced, I even predicted as much, with I must say, a gut wrenching resignation.

I apologise if I am coming across as a bit of a tosser this morning,but it was actually the points we needed and not a spirited display and I would have quite happily accepted a boring 1-0 over that game yesterday because we would have had the points, but it wasn't to be and we have to move on.

What The Papers Say

Peter Lansley, The Times
It has become de rigueur for Villa to concede two goals a game, so they got that part of the equation out of the way in the opening 23 minutes yesterday.
The Sun
Yet a six-goal thriller does not disguise the fact the fifth and sixth-placed teams are only one point better off than before kick-off — and the gap to the Gunners is growing as the games run out.
Ian Herbert, The Independent
Villa's performance was a vibrant one when they recovered from Everton's start – John Carew tormenting Joleon Lescott, and Ashley Young causing Tony Hibbert difficulties. But Villa, for whom Gabriel Agbonlahor will have a hamstring scan today, have still won only five games in the last 16.
Stuart James,
It was a compelling encounter and a ­fitting sequel to the game at Goodison Park in December, when Villa secured a remarkable 3-2 victory after Ashley Young scored deep into stoppage time following another breathless 90 minutes.

The Goals

Fellaini (18) 0-1; Cahill (22) 0-2; Carew (32) 1-2; Pienaar (52) 1-3; Milner 2-3; Barry (66)

Player Ratings

This week the player ratings are from Martin who emailed in. He made it quite simple for me and said, give the defenders all a six, everyone else a seven and James Milner an 8, so that it was I've done and I sort of agree with him.

6Brad Friedel

6Luke Young

6Nick Shorey

6Curtis Davies

6Zat Knight

7Gareth Barry

7Stan Petrov

7Ashley Young

8James Milner

7John Carew

7Gabby Agbonlahor

Aston Villa Man of the Match

Man of the match is James Milner. You all voted for him and I agree but I'm only giving him it for the free kick as it was something special.

Up next: West Ham at Villa Park

I want to inspire something about this match but I don' think it can even be classified as a must win match any more. Sure we have tow in if we want to secure fifth place, but is there any difference between fifth and sixth this season apart from a few quid?

I appreciate that fourth is still possible in so much that Arsenal have to play Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea and they have distractions but I'll happily accept now that we won't catch them, Martin O'Neill says they're not going to "down tools and give up the fight" but it's not a fair fight.

Final Analysis

At the end of the day, Everton should be the most disappointed because they as good as gave us the point yesterday and with the lead that they had, they shouldn't have, but we did look okay going forward yesterday, so there is something positive to take from the game.

I know I wrote how we needed to play five in midfield and I know some don't agree but had we played with five in the middle yesterday, maybe they wouldn't have scored three but at the same time, maybe we wouldn't have scored three, we'll never know, however I remain convinced and after the match yesterday the Everton fan I watched with even asked why we're not.

Basically, it was a disappointing result. A very good football match and one that will be talked about for a while, but not what we needed and well, it will take something very special for us to finish in the top four now, but it is football and anything is possible.