Game #3638
Aston Villa
Saturday, 18 April 1981
Won
1st (-)
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟩
Division One
Attendance: 34,707
Nottingham Forest
Villa Park
Villa race to victory over Forest to extend their lead at the top of the table in the "most thrilling title race in many years."
Ron Saunders’ team remain in the title driving seat with three to play but it's less happy at Portman Road as Bobby Robson’s Ipswich, still chasing Villa, are the subject of more criticism for their lack of commitment and prima donna antics.
Aston Villa
2-0
Nottingham Forest
Assist(s) | Tony Morley | 45' |
KEY MAN
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
Saturday, 18 April 1981
⚽ | 29' Goal, 1-0, Gordon Cowans (pen)
⚽ | 45' Goal, 2-0, Peter Withe, Assist by Tony Morley
🕒 | HT Aston Villa 2-0 Nottingham Forest
🕒 | FT Aston Villa 2-0 Nottingham Forest
ON THIS DAY
Ron Saunders' Villa win for the eleventh time in fourteen games to make it twenty five wins, seven draws and seven defeats in thirty nine League matches this season as they sit three points clear of Ipswich at the top of the Division One table.
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1976-77
Nottingham Forest
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆🏆
League Champions: 🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1979-80
FIXTURE HISTORY
Nottingham Forest
Previous 5 vs. Forest: 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟩 🟨
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1980-81 |
Matchday | #43 |
League Match | #39 |
Manager Game | #356 |
Saturday, 18 April 1981
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Ron Saunders | 🏴 | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Ron Chadwick | 🏴 | Darwen, 1975–1983
HT Score: 🟩 2-0
FT Result: 🟩 Won
FT Score: 🟩 2-0
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟩
MANAGERIAL RECORD
Ron Saunders | 🏴 |
GAMES | WINS | DRAWS | LOSSES | POINTS PER GAME
🕒 356 | 🟩 | 164 🟨 | 96 🟥 96 | 1.65
Career Form:
Top 6
Ron Saunders | 🏴 |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Ron Chadwick | 🏴 | Darwen, 1975–1983
Previous 5:
Last Match:
Cards: None
Ron Chadwick
CARDS
Villa
None
Nottingham Forest
None
TEAM NEWS
Dennis Mortimer replaces Allan Evans.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 26.00 |
Oldest Player |
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 🏴 | 33.21 |
Youngest Player |
F Gary Shaw | 🏴 | 19.42 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Ron Saunders | 🏴 |
Brian Clough | 🏴 |
Aston Villa
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 🏴 |
RB Kenny Swain | 🏴 |
RB Gary Williams | 🏴 |
CB Ken McNaught | 🏴 |
M Des Bremner | 🏴 |
M Dennis Mortimer | 🏴 |
M Colin Gibson | 🏴 |
M Gordon Cowans | 🏴 | ⚽ |
W Tony Morley | 🏴 | 🔥 |
F Gary Shaw | 🏴 |
CF Peter Withe | 🏴 | ⚽ |
Nottingham Forest
GK Peter Shilton | 🏴 |
RB Viv Anderson | 🏴 |
RB Gary Mills | 🏴 |
CB Einar Jan Aas | 🇳🇴 |
CB David Needham | 🏴 |
D Bryn Gunn | 🏴 |
LB Frank Gray | 🏴 |
M John McGovern | 🏴 |
W John Robertson | 🏴 |
F Peter Ward | 🏴 |
CF Trevor Francis | 🏴 |
SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions Made
SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions Made
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
FB Eamonn Deacy | 🇮🇪 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
M Colin Walsh | 🏴 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/12
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 10/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/12
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Suspension | 1 |
CB Allan Evans | 🏴 |
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Positions:
GK : Goalkeeper
CB, D, B : Centre Back, Defender, Back
FB, LB, RB, WH : Full Back, Left Back, Right Back, Wing Back, Wing Half
M, CH, LH, RH : Midfielder, Centre Half, Left Half, Right Half
W, OL, OR : Winger, Outside Left, Outside Right
F, IF, IL, IR : Forward, Inside Forward, Inside Left, Inside Right, Second Striker, False 9
CF : Centre Forward
Match Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
DEBUT APPEARANCES
FINAL APPEARANCES
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
TABLE
PROGRAMME
MATCHDAY QUOTES
“Our fate is our own hands.
“The supporters and the bookmakers will have us favourites again.
“But the players can't afford to think like that.
“We now have to win at Stoke and Saturday's results don't make it any easier.
“It will be a fight and there are two more waiting for us against Middlesbrough and Arsenal.
“The race will go on to the last day and that has got to be good for the game.”
Dennis Mortimer.
“I predicted it after they played us in December and I feel the same way now.
“Villa are a skilful side who compete. That is why they beat us. They competed slightly better than us."
Forest assistant manager Peter Taylor.
"When we saw Arsenal had scored again it made us go that bit harder."
Peter Withe.
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved. Source: British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
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