21-02-2018, 12:01
Aston Villa 1 Grabban pen Preston North End 1 Barkhuizen
Aston Villa line-up: Johnstone, Chester, Snodgrass (Grabban, 46), Hogan, Hourihane (Davis, 46), Jedinak, Onomah, Bjarnason, Hutton, Terry ©, Tuanzebe (Elmohamady, 85). Subs not used: Bunn, Taylor, Whelan, Lansbury.
PNE line-up: Rudd, Fisher, Cunningham ©, Pearson, Huntington, Davies, Bodin (Harrop, 90), Browne, Robinson, Moult (Horgan, 83), Barkhuizen (Simpson, 90). Subs not used: Maxwell, Woods, Spurr, Earl.
Attendance: 30,134 (972 PNE fans)
Referee: Mr D England
Another disputed decision cost North End two points in a game which I though we really deserved to win, when Barkhuizen was adjudged to have pushed Davies the referee gave nothing however his assistant started to flag at a rate of knots that Barks had committed a foul. Seemed very soft the kind of decision away sides would not get. Grabban dispatched it down the centre and Villa were level.
Up to then North End had more than matched the home side after an initial strong start by Villa which saw Rudd make two good saves from Bjarnason and Chester. The North End stopper also saved well after Hogan had down the byline before firing in a shot which Rudd saved with his feet.
From then North End took control, Robinson failed to hit the target when let in by a mistake by Terry. Pressure was piled on by a series of corners and about 8 minutes from half time Villa made a complete hash of trying to clear a Robinson inswinger and Barkhuizen hooked the ball home to give us a deserved lead.
Half time two substitutes by Villa made no difference, North End forced Johnstone, Robinson was then denied by a fine block by the Villa keeper when 10 yards out and if we had got a second then we would have won but we didn't and then came the penalty and Villa were lifted, a couple of headers went wide before Hutton blitzed one inches wide from 25 yards.
Back came North End and looked the more likely winners but we just couldn't find a way through with Robinson being denied by a fine block by Chester.
So all square at the Villa and we have picked up two points against Villa and Wolves which I would have settled for however it could have so easily have been six points. We have a chance time to start turning draws into wins starting with the Tractors on Saturday.
https://youtu.be/5wDovypTmOI
https://youtu.be/dOB_077p2Q8
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce told BBC Sport:
"We found it difficult. They've only lost one in 17 and you can see why. They have a fantastic work effort with good players and, in this league, they're a threat for anybody.
"We've given them a goal. They got a break with their first attempt which was a mistake by us. Then Snoddy (Robert Snodgrass) was sick at half time and we had to change fit.
"If I'm being brutally honest, when I first saw it, I thought our penalty looked a bit soft, but having seen it again on the video, it was actually a ridiculous challenge. He just jumped into him. The referee and linesman have got it spot on.
"It might not have been fair but we might even have won it in the end. The best ball of the match and Keinan Davis couldn't quite get on the end of it."
Preston manager Alex Neil told BBC Sport:
"We were the better side viewed over the 90 minutes, in every facet of the game. We've come here and dominated.
"It's just disappointing that it was a really soft penalty that got them back into it. It was the linesman that gave it, not the referee.
"Whenever you come to a big away ground, you hope that it will be a level playing field and that you get a strong referee and I didn't think that was the right decision.
"But we created enough chances to have won it. And we only scored one goal and that leaves you susceptible."
Aston Villa line-up: Johnstone, Chester, Snodgrass (Grabban, 46), Hogan, Hourihane (Davis, 46), Jedinak, Onomah, Bjarnason, Hutton, Terry ©, Tuanzebe (Elmohamady, 85). Subs not used: Bunn, Taylor, Whelan, Lansbury.
PNE line-up: Rudd, Fisher, Cunningham ©, Pearson, Huntington, Davies, Bodin (Harrop, 90), Browne, Robinson, Moult (Horgan, 83), Barkhuizen (Simpson, 90). Subs not used: Maxwell, Woods, Spurr, Earl.
Attendance: 30,134 (972 PNE fans)
Referee: Mr D England
Another disputed decision cost North End two points in a game which I though we really deserved to win, when Barkhuizen was adjudged to have pushed Davies the referee gave nothing however his assistant started to flag at a rate of knots that Barks had committed a foul. Seemed very soft the kind of decision away sides would not get. Grabban dispatched it down the centre and Villa were level.
Up to then North End had more than matched the home side after an initial strong start by Villa which saw Rudd make two good saves from Bjarnason and Chester. The North End stopper also saved well after Hogan had down the byline before firing in a shot which Rudd saved with his feet.
From then North End took control, Robinson failed to hit the target when let in by a mistake by Terry. Pressure was piled on by a series of corners and about 8 minutes from half time Villa made a complete hash of trying to clear a Robinson inswinger and Barkhuizen hooked the ball home to give us a deserved lead.
Half time two substitutes by Villa made no difference, North End forced Johnstone, Robinson was then denied by a fine block by the Villa keeper when 10 yards out and if we had got a second then we would have won but we didn't and then came the penalty and Villa were lifted, a couple of headers went wide before Hutton blitzed one inches wide from 25 yards.
Back came North End and looked the more likely winners but we just couldn't find a way through with Robinson being denied by a fine block by Chester.
So all square at the Villa and we have picked up two points against Villa and Wolves which I would have settled for however it could have so easily have been six points. We have a chance time to start turning draws into wins starting with the Tractors on Saturday.
https://youtu.be/5wDovypTmOI
https://youtu.be/dOB_077p2Q8
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce told BBC Sport:
"We found it difficult. They've only lost one in 17 and you can see why. They have a fantastic work effort with good players and, in this league, they're a threat for anybody.
"We've given them a goal. They got a break with their first attempt which was a mistake by us. Then Snoddy (Robert Snodgrass) was sick at half time and we had to change fit.
"If I'm being brutally honest, when I first saw it, I thought our penalty looked a bit soft, but having seen it again on the video, it was actually a ridiculous challenge. He just jumped into him. The referee and linesman have got it spot on.
"It might not have been fair but we might even have won it in the end. The best ball of the match and Keinan Davis couldn't quite get on the end of it."
Preston manager Alex Neil told BBC Sport:
"We were the better side viewed over the 90 minutes, in every facet of the game. We've come here and dominated.
"It's just disappointing that it was a really soft penalty that got them back into it. It was the linesman that gave it, not the referee.
"Whenever you come to a big away ground, you hope that it will be a level playing field and that you get a strong referee and I didn't think that was the right decision.
"But we created enough chances to have won it. And we only scored one goal and that leaves you susceptible."
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