Aston Villa stayed on course for Europe by inflicting on Sheffield Wednesday
their first home Premiership defeat in more than four months in a game that was
marred by an angry fan confronting visiting boss John Gregory.
He pushed his way past a linesman and made straight for the Villa manager,
before poking his finger at him and clearly berating him from only a yard away.
Although Gregory was never attacked, he could have been, as stewards and
police took their time to restrain the fan and lead him away.
Gregory's anxiety will have been eased, though, by goals from Dwight Yorke,
Lee Hendrie and Julian Joachim, which keep Villa on the brink of a place in next
season's UEFA Cup.
Villa were never shackled at any time by the Owls, who looked like a side at
the end of their season and with nothing left to play for.
During the course of the game Wednesday boss Ron Atkinson changed tactics and
personnel, but it did nothing to alter the outcome as Villa served notice of
just what could be on offer next season under a complete campaign under
Gregory.
For woeful Wednesday, it was the end of their proud home record and a
sadfinish to their season at Hillsborough as they suffered their first defeat in
the Premiership there since December 20.
Villa never looked troubled at any time in making it eight League wins in 10
games since Gregory took charge, stroking the ball around, playing patient
football and waiting for the openings to appear.
It did not take long for Wednesday to be prised apart. In the 21st minute
Portuguese international Fernando Nelson shoulder-charged England counterpart
Andy Hinchcliffe off the ball down by the right-hand touchline.
While Hinchcliffe appealed to the linesman for a foul, Nelson whipped ina
curling cross for Yorke to sidefoot home his 15th goal of the season from just
outside the six-yard box.
Four minutes later and with appeals for a penalty having been waved away by
referee Martin Bodenham following Ugo Ehiogu's tackle on Benito Carbone, Villa
doubled their advantage.
Brazilian defender Emerson Thome appeared to have done the hard work inrobbing
Yorke of the ball just outside the area, but in looking for a Wednesday shirt to
lay off a pass, he was in turn robbed himself.
Yorke quickly threaded the ball through to Joachim, whose first-time lay-off
found Hendrie sprinting round the back of the Owls defence and he beat keeper
Kevin Pressman with a curling 10-yard effort.
Former Villa boss Atkinson then changed tactics 10 minutes from half-time,
switching from 5-3-2 to 4-4-2, bringing off Emerson and replacing him with Guy
Whittingham.
But it nearly had dire consequences as Villa continued to rip through the Owls
rearguard at will and should have been four goals clear at the break.
Only a brilliant tackle by Dejan Stefanovic prevented Joachim from firing
goalwards in the 36th minute and this was followed two minutes later by a
sprawling save from Pressman to beat away Joachim's shot.
Within seconds Villa were on the attack again, Nelson leaving Hinchcliffe on
the seat of his shorts, before whipping over a cross to Ian Taylor, whose
first-time shot crashed off the underside of the bar.
But there was no respite after the interval and Villa went 3-0 up in the 50th
minute, with debutant Gareth Batty, an England Under-18 international, playing
his part with his second touch of the ball.
Barry, on seconds earlier for the injured Taylor, provided a simple pass for
Yorke to touch on to Joachim and the striker beat Pressman from six yards.
Paolo Di Canio then brought a standing ovation from the crowd as Wednesday
finally mustered their first shot in the 64th minute, but they nearly reduced
the arrears six minutes later.
Italian teenager Francesco Sanetti - a half-time sub whose international
clearance finally arrived yesterday, despite being signed from Genoa just before
deadline day - forced Michael Oakes into a brilliant stop from a 70th minute
shot-on-the-turn.
But Sanetti showed he could be one for the future as he beat Oakes with a
curling left-foot shot in the 89th minute. It was too little, too late for
Wednesday, though.
Teams:
Sheff Wed: Pressman, Atherton, Pembridge (Sanetti 46), Walker,
Carbone, Di Canio, Hyde, Stefanovic, Hinchcliffe,
Thome (Whittingham 35), Barrett (Magilton 72).
Subs Not Used: Briscoe, Clarke.
Booked: Stefanovic.
Goals: Sanetti 89.
Aston Villa: Oakes, Southgate, Ehiogu, Taylor (Barry 49), Draper,
Yorke, Joachim, Wright, Nelson, Grayson, Hendrie.
Subs Not Used: Milosevic, Collymore, Byfield, Rachel.
Booked: Draper.
Goals: Yorke 21, Hendrie 25, Joachim 50.
Att: 34,177
Ref: M J Bodenham (East Looe).
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