Premier League: Aston Villa v Hull City - as it happened

Phil Brown
Hull City manager Phil Brown adopts his post-Christmas default setting. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Davies, Knight, Shorey,
Milner, Petrov, Barry, Ashley Young, Carew, Agbonlahor.
Subs: Guzan, Sidwell, Delfouneso, Heskey, Reo-Coker, Gardner, Clark.

Hull: Myhill, Ricketts, Turner, Zayatte, Dawson, Garcia,
Boateng, Ashbee, Kilbane, Geovanni, Cousin.
Subs: Duke, Doyle, Barmby, Halmosi, Marney, Featherstone, Manucho.

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

The last time erstwhile top four-challengers Aston Villa won a game was also the day Newcastle last won a game and, if memory serves, the day an asteroid blazed through a fleet of pterosaurs before slamming into Chicxulub. Hull, believe it or not, have triumphed more recently than that. The Tigers' victory over Fulham in early March (and the on-going farce at St James's Park) is what separates them from the relegation zone. Three points at Villa Park would almost certainly safeguard their Premier League status, though even that result may be unnecessary given that Newcastle and Middlesbrough are unlikely to collect any further points this season after drawing 0-0 next weekend. All of which probably makes this match meaningless, but hey, why search for significance? The most fun things in life are frivolous, at least at first.

A question: "What's a better story for your professional livelihood?" wonders Kyle Karinen for some reason. "Hull going down and thereby Newcastle not, or vice-versa? Would the Championship be that
much more interesting with Newcastle in it for a year or do we run the
risk of them doing a Charlton and never being seen again? Can the
Premier League's credibility survive a year without Phil Brown's
PermaTan now that we've had it once?" Hull staying up would be a huge success story, Newcatle going down a monumental case story in failure. And that is what will happen. Brown's PermaBrown will remain and, indeed, be augmented by Mick McCarthy's bon mots, Alex McLeish's, um, grittiness, and Owen Coyle's genial effervescence.

Contradicting my intro, Phil Brown has just told Sky that this is "the most significant game for Hull since the play-off final". So there you go.

7:58pm: Ashley Young is shamelessly displaying the young player of the year trophy that was wrongly given to him rather than Stephen Ireland.

1 min: We have kick-off. "Good evening," greets Stephen Peake. "Are Newcastle in line to become the most expensively assembled team ever to be relegated? I don't expect you to know but maybe one of your readers might." Well, I don't have my abacus to hand but I'd wager the Leeds team that went down a few years back was worth more.

2 mins: Knights nuts a long throw-in to the edge of the area, where Ashbee arrives to smash a powerful volley just wide.

4 mins: It's a pleasant, high-octane start to proceedings. After the Ashbee chance, Villa tore forward and Hull had to be at their most valiant to turn away a sequence of vicious crosses.

5 mins: Villa continue to press but Hull are well organised and are tackling like, well, tigers. Ashbee and Milner, indeed, are down in need of treatment following a full-blooded clash between the pair. There will now be a pause, which gives us time to indugle Gary Naylor for the 666th time this season. "Phil Brown's face is the same colour as Hull's shirts," notes Gary Naylor. "Except for the black stripey bit ... let's not give Phil ideas."

7 mins: Ashbee and Milner are back on their feet, though the Hull captain looks uneasy. Maybe he's seen this. And on that nore, Ashbee signals to the bench that he needs to come off, so on will trot Dean Marney in his place.

9 mins: Petrov fizzes in a fine cross that Carew meets at the near post. His header flies just wide of the far one.

11 mins: Ricketts lofts a freekick towards the Villa penalty spot. Friedel comes to punch it clear.

14 mins: Hull continue to press and harrass Villa but the home side are beginning to control the game, which is being played almsot entirely in the Hull half. "Things are very slow today here at Porto FC," announces our old chum Jesualdo F. "Yesterday we beat Maritimo 3-0 so I gave the boys the day off today. Most of the talk around here is coming from the WAG's reading group which has just finished Jonathan Littell's book The Kindly Ones and all the girls are very impressed (if somewhat sobered). I, for one, will be hoping that Hull win this game and Newcastle become relegated. I used to like Newcastle team, but the manager who is ill now (I don't remember his name) gave a very dirty press conference earlier in the year saying to the press FLIP YOU many times. I think the press are an
excellent bunch - especially you Paul Doyle. Anyway, good luck with
your always entertaining and very good mbm!" You've got to admire that man's sentiments. Jesualdo's too.

16 mins: Hull are relyin on the offside trap to thwart Agbonlahor and Young and so far it is working but there have been a couple of close calls - sooner or later Agbonlahor is going to get his timing right and will be in on goal.

19 mins: To all of the concerned readers who have written to me asking where today's Fiver is - that means you, Matthew Fox - let it be known that today is a holiday in Britain so people like the Fiver are obliged by law to take the day off and get sloshed. Oh, and throw-in to Villa (attacking), as inferior rivals might say.

22 mins: Villa continue to dominate and are getting into decent crossing positions but their deliveries require uregent intervention by NGOs, that's how poor they are. Meanwhile, this: "What a horrible week it's been for Cardiff," weeps Chris Wells. "The football team somehow managing to throw away a 6-point 14-goal difference advantage over Preston in their last 2 games was bad enough, but for their rugby team to lose the Heineken Cup semi-final on penalties. On the plus side, Tom Jones put in a cracking performance of the national anthem before the boxing. Every cloud, I suppose."

24 mins: Turner clobbers Young at the rim of the box, giving Villa a potentially dangerous freekick. That potential, like the Roling Stones, remains unfulfilled, as Myhill touches Milner's shot over the bar.

26 mins: Hull spared as Agbonlahor is wrongly adjudged to be offside. Meanwhile, speaking of Cardiff, as Chris Wells was a moment ago, always reminds me of that occasion a few years back when they were leading Stoke in a playoff match and, with a minute to go, the Ninian Park stadium announcer asked fans not to invade the pitch because the players wanted to mark their pormotion with a lap of honour. That announcement, of course, was Stoke's cue to score. And speaking of sining Toms always reminds me of this

29 mins: Geovanni hassles Davies into the concession of a corner. Davies redeems himself by heading the delivery clear.

30 mins: Crazy late lunge by Cousin on Davies, but because he only grazed the centreback - who was gallant enough not to exagerate the pain - the striker escapes without so much as a finger wag from the ref.

32 mins: Turner intervenes smartly to prevent Barry from latching on to another fine through-ball from Petrov.

33 mins: Young wastes yet another corner. He really should hand that trophy to Stephen Ireland.

GOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Hull (Carew 34')

34 mins: Petrov and Barry combined to rob Boateng in the Villa half and countered quickly. It came to Young, who cut in from the right and clipped a curling cross towards Carew, who had eluded all the defenders and prods the ball into the net.

36 mins: Carew goes down in the box under a challenge of Boateng, promoting the Sky commentator to raise his voice expectantly. But "no penalty" indicates the ref. "Has a MBM reporter ever NOT run a Gary Naylor emailed witticism?" rails Holly McGuire. "What kind of Gary Naylor bon mot doesn't make it into the reportage?" You've got a lot of nerve, Holly, grumbling about other people's emails if that was the best you could come up with.

38 mins: Cousin flicks on a long Hull freekick ... all the way into Friedel's arms.

39 mins: Young scurries into the box but is denied by a fine sliding tackle by Zayatte.

41 mins: Young has switched to the right wing now and begun showboating agaisnt Dawson, who is struggling to read his runs. All his toying yields nothing more dangerous that a corner, however.

42 mins: An ominous scowl animates the face of Phil Brown after Geovanni tonks a 40-yard freekick towards the Hawthorns.

44 mins: Young had several opportunities to cross but preferred to hurtle into the box and go down in the vicinity of Ricketts. The ref correctly decides against awarding such tomfoolery with a penalty.

45 mins: Geovanni attempts to pick out Cousin at the back post ... but finds the far corner flag. The Brazilian and the Gabonese exchanges dirty looks and, probably, even dirtier language. "I think you're being a bit harsh on Ashley Young," yips Steve Bloomfield. "He was magic until March and hasn't been too bad since. We've got such a tiny squad O'Neill doesn't really have much chance to rest him. He would do a great job for England on the left, certainly much better than the ludicrously over-rated Stewart downing. Admittedly O'Neill went a bit over the top when he compared him to Messi." I don't deny he's been decent, all I'm saying is that Ireland has been better and much more consistent, and all that in a ridiculously capricious team.

45+3 mins: After neat possession play, Villa, via Luke Young, release Agbonlahor down the right and he fires at goal from a tight angle. Myhill pushes it around for a corner.

Half-time: Villa are well worth their lead and would be further ahead with a better decision-making around the box and, most of all, better deliveries. Hull have been determined and energetic but their lack of creative quality has been stark. It's hard to see them getting back into this.

Meanwhile, two questions:
1) Who amongst you agrees that Manchester United will lose to City this weekend? And then lose to Arsenal in the league (having knocked them out of the Champions League) and be surpassed by Liverpool, who will win all of their remaining games?
2) Can anyone truly claim to have seen Robbie Keane play a decent game since returning to Spurs? He's not exactly making Benitez regret his decision, is he? Of course, there is still the possibility that he could deny Liverpool the title on the last game of the season by scoring a penalty in time added on ... but that's not going to happen. Is it?

A Stoke fan speaks: "I'd like to verify the story about the ground announcer at Cardiff and add that, if I remember right, just to add further insult the equalising goal went in off a Stoke player's backside< exults Lisa Barker. "We quite literally arsed our way to promotion. Also Fulham should have won the Hull game 5-1 but got mugged after some wayward finishing."

46 mins: Geovanni's stroppery towards the end of the first-half has cost him his place in the team - on waddles Nick Barmby instead. "As a variation on his half-time humiliation tactics, did Phil Brown choose to stay out on the pitch and talk to his team via his headset?" No, Iain Copestake, he did not.

48 mins: Barry twists and turns before unleasing a decent 25-yard shot with his right foot. Myhill tips it out for a corner. And now for some context: if Hull are to win this game they need to do something they haven't done all season: beat Villa at Villa Park. Oh, and overturn a first-half deficit. "In response to Holly's question (36 mins) about how many of my bon mots hit the spike, the frightening answer is 'plenty' ... having said that, there are a lot of instances when Mac Millings writes in claiming to be me - an action that should lead to his being sectioned." drools Gary Naylor. Or Mac Millings.

50 mins: No sign of a comeback from Hull as Villa monopolise possession, but they're not moving the ball around with as much speed as in the first period. Meanwhile, early responses to my half-time questions suggest most of you think (a) United will collapse and (b) Robbie Keane was always pants. Now if only some of you could articulate those senitments without recourse to swear words I could publish your emails instead of merely paraphrase them.

52 mins: Friedel boots the ball out of play to allow Zayatte receive attention to an ankle that was injured after Carew trod on it.

54 mins: Nice in-swinging cross by Milner. Petrov tried to control it around the penalty spot but his touch was rash and Hull punt the ball clear.

56 mins: As Villa recede like the global economy, Hull beging to venture further forward and their interplay is developing a crispness that has hitherto eluded them. Are Villa actually going to botch yet another home match?

59 mins: Barmby tries to tickle a ball through to Cousin, who goes down heavily under Knight's meaty tackle. No freekick, which means Villa can counter again. Milner blazes a 20-yard shot wide.

62 mins: Barry curls a corner in and Carew heads it out. "I'd like the leap to the defence of our inspirational captain, who is a Tottenham legend," cock-a-doodles Steve Bower. "Keano's form after initially rejoining us was very good, especially taking into consideration the damage done to him by Benitez. The home game against Boro has been his best to date, scoring and assisting both of Lennon's goals, but he also put in good stints against Sunderland, Chelsea and Blackburn. Yes his form has dropped off the last three games, but his work rate/pressuring is still first class - Bent and Pav could both learn a lot. We are also asking him to play deeper and at times make up an extra man in midfield. I will put money on him scoring at Anfield, the only disappointing note is that it won't unfortunately have a bearing on the title now."

65 mins: Another hopeful Villa cross is nutted clear by Turner. "I fully agree with the statement that Robbie Keane is about as over-rated as Wayne 'still never done it in a big game' Rooney," blurts Nick Kinnear, who presumably wasn't around during, for example, Euro 2004. "Throughout our Rob's career he's proved to be a patchy striker at best never fullfilling his aparent potential but constantly letting clubs and supporters down. He also has the annoying habit of whinging at everyone else on the pitch when he misses chance after chance as if its somehow their fault."

66 mins: Milner gathers the ball in midfield, bustles forward and blems a fierce shot that Myhill does well to parry.

67 mins: Friedel sends the ball long, Carew flicks on and Agbonlahor narrowly fails to get to it before Myhill.

68 mins: Hull freekick, 30 yards out. Three players stand over it ... and the result is high comedy! Kilbane backheeled it to Cousin, who wasn't expecting the ball. Fortuantely a Villain clattered into Cousin rather than pinch the ball and the ref awards another freekick. Kilbane and Cousin are shooed away from this one ... and Dawson bangs it wide.

71 mins: Young, who has done nothing since half-time, curls a corner on to the head of Turner, who clears.

72 mins: Barry wins the ball in midfield, flips it wide to Shorey and races into the box to pick up the return pass. Then he goes down under pressure from Ricketts, but again the referee refuses to give a penalty.

73 mins: Hull substitution: Kilbane off, Manucho on.

74 mins: Villa besiege the Hull box but their pressure only yields a corner. Young takes it short to Milner, who is penalised for fouling Ricketts after the defender had nicked the ball off him.

76 mins: Cousin flicks a long ball on to Manucho, forcing Davies to rush across and concede a freekick. Zayatte then jumps unchallenged to meet the corner but his header is too weak to bother Friedel.

77 mins: Zayatte booked for chopping down Agbonlahor after the youngster had rolled him. "Rooney's record in big games is pretty consistent since 2004," trumpets Nathan Smith. " Run around a lot, lose ball, lose temper, get sent off. The man is a liability to club and country, but apparently you can't take that aggression away from him because it's "what makes him special". Bollocks. The vision, touch, power and pace make him special. The temper is what will prevent him from ever reaching his potential."

78 mins: What a save by Myhill! He reacted brilliantly to turn a close-ranger Agbonlahor header over the bar.

79 mins: Hull respond to Myhill's heroism by producing their best move of the match. A nice one-two on the right culminates with a cross to Cousin. The Gabonese winds up his shot but fires into the ground, thus taking the power out of it and Friedel ultimately saves comfortably. "If Hull lose, they're going to go down," reveals Ian McCourt. "And I've a sneaking suspicion that Middlesborough will beat Newcastle and get away with it."

81 mins: This is not a Newcastle, Middlesbrough or Sunderland-style surrender by Hull. They're raging against defeat and Villa are starting to wobble under the pressure. But still Hull are being undone by the lack of quality in the final ball.

83 mins: Ricketts curls in a freekick that comes through a forest of bodies - perhaps getting a touch off Zayatte - and forces a plunging save from Friedel.

85 mins: Hull are entrenched in the Villa half now and the home fans - and players - are nervous: they've even taken to booing Villa!

86 mins: Boateng booked for a perfect tackle on Knight. Seems rather harsh. Meanwhile, Martin O'Neill replaces Carew with Heskey.

87 mins: Panic in the Villa box as defenders slash at the ball under pressure by Hull attackers. Eventually Milner retreats to whack the ball clear.

89 mins: Ricketts launches a mighty throw-in into the Villa box, but Turner is penalised as he rises to challenge. Villa fans welcome the respite uproariously.

90 mins: Gasps of despair from the home crowd as the official signal four minutes of additional time.

90+1 mins: Dawson hoiks a high cross into the box. Manucho does well to direct it on target with power, but Friedel is equal to it.

90+2 mins: Villa substitution: A Young off, Gardner on.

90+3 mins: Villa continue gobbling up time by replacing Petrov with Reo-Coker.

90+4 mins: Corner to Hull ... up comes Myhill, well, as far as the half-way line. Friedel punches the corner clear, as far as Boateng, who wallops it wide ... via a deflection off a Villa player. Another corner. Now Myhill is in the box. And somehow the corner eludes everyone in the six-yard box and rolls out of play!

Full-time: Villa win at home for the first time in four months. Hull remain in trouble, but at least they went down fighting.

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