David Ginola put some sparkle into a personal season of misery to rescue a
point for Aston Villa against West Ham this afternoon.
The French winger has been at odds with manager John Gregory almost since the
moment he joined from Tottenham in the summer.
Making only his third start in 12 games, Ginola hit a brilliant equaliser
after Frederic Kanoute had put the Hammers in front.
He then created Villa's second for Lee Hendrie before Frank Lampard earned
Harry Redknapp's side a point.
Five of the six last meetings between the Premiership's two claret-and-blues
have now ended with honours even.
Gregory had rotated his squad, making several changes to the side which had
beaten Manchester City last Saturday and Leicester in midweek.
Redknapp had made changes too, after five defeats in a row. He responded by
leaving Joe Cole on the bench and adding John Moncur's steel to midfield.
The first half was one of unmitigated misery, despite the proven quality of
some of those players on show.
Ginola and Steve Staunton did not combine well down the left, and West Ham
exploited the gaps on that flank through Kanoute and Sebastien Schemmel without
creating anything worthwhile.
Indeed, in the opening 45 minutes both teams only managed one shot on target.
Paul Merson, Villa's only ever-present outfield player this season, threaded a
pass to Julian Joachim, but his snap-shot lacked the power to trouble Shaka
Hislop.
Within 25 seconds of the second half kicking off, West Ham did the best thing
possible for the neutral spectator and scored.
Kanoute had been the Hammers' best player in the opening period, but much of
his good work had been out wide.
This time, Lampard burst down the right and, after looking up, cut the ball
back for the French striker to finish so well that David James was left rooted
to the spot.
It was a goal of excellent quality and in complete contrast to the play that
had gone on before it.
The game improved hugely, but initially Villa were unable to find a way
through, while the visitors contested every ball.
Igor Stimac was an imperious figure in defence, reading the game so well that
he snuffed out many of Villa's promising moves in their infancy.
Villa needed some Merson magic to get back into the game and he so nearly
provided it with a deft, lobbed pass over the defence which met Steve Stone's
run, but he could only poke a weak shot towards Hislop.
The home side were being forced to attack and that suited West Ham, who
revelled in the extra space.
Paolo di Canio started to probe and the Italian - winner of the goal of the
season last year - contrived the miss of the season when James palmed a cross
into his path.
The goal was unguarded, di Canio was eight yards out, the ball went spinning
over the bar.
That miss was to prove costly as Pearce, unwisely, fouled Joachim right on the
edge of the box. Up stepped Ginola to place the free-kick with power past the
wall and into the top corner.
From the start of his run-up he never looked like missing.
Pearce then had a chance to make amends, but his free-kick, after James had
been penalised for handling a back-pass, was hit straight at the wall.
Then another piece of Ginola magic saw Villa go in front.
The Frenchman, seemingly closely marked out on his wing, swung over a peach of
a cross and though Pearce beat Joachim to the header, the ball dropped for
Hendrie to sweep home.
Darius Vassell came off the bench and flashed a shot wide after good work by
Mark Delaney, before West Ham equalised with four minutes remaining.
Substitute Cole won a free-kick on the right, which Pearce took. The veteran
picked out Igor Stimac and though the Croatian hit the foot of the post, Lampard
smacked home the re-bound with glee.
Teams:
Aston Villa: James, Delaney, Southgate, Barry,
Staunton (Wright 61), Hendrie, Taylor, Stone (Vassell 61),
Ginola, Merson, Joachim.
Subs Not Used: Boateng, Angel, Enckelman.
Booked: Ginola.
Goals: Ginola 71, Hendrie 78.
West Ham: Hislop, Schemmel (Cole 79), Stimac, Song,
Stuart Pearce, Winterburn, Moncur, Lampard, Carrick,
Di Canio (Soma 90), Kanoute.
Subs Not Used: Potts, Bywater, Todorov.
Booked: Song, Cole.
Goals: Kanoute 46, Lampard 87.
Att: 31,432
Ref: R Harris (Oxford).
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