Game #4063
Saturday, 6 May 1989
Attendance: 18,112
Lost
Division One
14th (-)
Derby County
Last 5: 🟩 🟨 🟨 🟥 🟥
Baseball Ground
Villa lose successive games to leave them 14th in the table but still on 39 points and still only three clear of the relegation places with one to play. With a superior goal difference Villa cannot realistically go down as they face a Coventry side who have never won at Villa Park.
Derby County
2-1
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | Not recorded
KEY MAN
David Platt, header from two yard put Villa ahead before Derby hit back.
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
🟢 | 1’ Debut, Darrell Duffy
⚽ | 26’ Goal, 1-0, David Platt
🥅 | 36’ Goal, 1-1, (Derby County), Dean Saunders
🕒 | HT Derby County 1-1 Aston Villa
🥅 | 57’ Goal, 1-2, (Derby County), Trevor Hebberd
🔁 | 73’ Sub off, Nigel Callaghan, Sub on, Paul Birch
🔁 | 86’ Sub off, Tony Daley, Sub on, Ian Ormondroyd
🕒 | FT Derby County 2-1 Aston Villa
🟨 | Booking, Stuart Gray, Heavy tackle
ON THIS DAY
Graham Taylor's Villa lose for the second consecutive game despite David Platt opening the scoring at the Baseball Ground and find themselves in a precarious position one point off the drop zone with a game to play in a very tight First Division where any one of five clubs - including Villa - could be relegated on the final day of the season.
Meanwhile, Darry Duffy made his one and only appearance for Villa aged 18 after joining from school football in March 1985 before moving on to Moor Green in February 1993.
Midfielder Mark Lillis made his final Villa appearance aged 29 before moving on to Scunthorpe United in September 1989 for a fee of £40,000. Lillis played for Villa in 1987-88 and 1988-89 making 37 appearances and scoring 4 goals.
Midfielder David Hunt made his final appearance for Villa aged 30 before moving on to Mansfield in June 1988.
Hunt played for Villa in 1987-88 and 1988-89 making 15 appearances.
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1981-82
Derby County
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: 1974-75
FIXTURE HISTORY
Derby County
Previous 5 vs. Derby: 🟨 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟥
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1988-89 |
Matchday | #46 |
League Match | #37 |
Manager Game | #97 |
Saturday, 6 May 1989
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Graham Taylor | 🏴 | Worksop, 1987-1990
Referee: John Martin | 🏴 | Alton, 1978–1993
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟨 1-1
FT Result: 🟥 Lost
FT Score: 🟥 1-2
Last 5: 🟩 🟨 🟨 🟥 🟥
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: John Martin | 🏴 | Alton, 1978–1993
Previous 5: 🟨 🟥 🟨 🟩
Last Match: 🟩 3 December 1988, Villa 3-1 Norwich, Villa Park.
Cards: 🟨 🟨
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Mark Lillis (second start of the season), Darrell Duffy (debut) and David Hunt (first start of the season) and Tony Daley replace Allan Evans, Chris Price, Martin Keown and Ian Ormondroyd.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 26.03 |
Oldest Player |
CB Steve Sims | 🏴 | 31.87 |
Youngest Player |
D Darrell Duffy | 🏴 | 18.31 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Graham Taylor | 🏴 |
Arthur Cox | 🏴 |
Aston Villa
GK Nigel Spink | 🏴 |
CB Steve Sims | 🏴 |
D Darrell Duffy | 🏴 | 🟢 | 🔴 |
M David Hunt | 🏴 |
M Stuart Gray | 🏴 | 🟨 |
M Mark Lillis | 🏴 |
M David Platt | 🏴 | ⚽ |
W Tony Daley | 🏴 |
W Nigel Callaghan | 🏴 | 🔁 |
W Tony Daley | 🏴 | 🔁 |
CF Ian Olney | 🏴 |
Derby County
GK Peter Shilton | 🏴 |
RB Paul Blades | 🏴 |
CB Rob Hindmarch | 🏴 |
CB Mark Wright | 🏴 |
D Mike Forsyth | 🏴 |
M Trevor Hebberd | 🏴 | ⚽ |
M Gary Micklewhite | 🏴 |
M Geraint Williams | 🏴 |
W Ted McMinn | 🏴 |
CF Paul Goddard | 🏴 |
CF Dean Saunders | 🏴 | ⚽ |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 M Paul Birch | 🏴 | for W Nigel Callaghan | 🏴 | 73' |
🔁 CF Ian Ormondroyd | 🏴 | for W Tony Daley | 🏴 | 86' |
SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions Made
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
None
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
M Steve Cross | 🏴 |
F Phil Gee | 🏴 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 13/13
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 13/13
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Not recorded
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Abbreviations:
GK : Goalkeeper
LB, RB, FB : Left Back, Right Back, Full Back
CB, D : Centre Back, Defender
M, W : Midfielder. Winger
F, CF : Forward, Centre Forward
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
DEBUT APPEARANCES
FINAL APPEARANCES
M David Hunt | 🏴 |
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
TABLE

PROGRAMME

MATCHDAY QUOTES
"If we go down there will have to be a lot of heart searching.
“I have not enjoyed my last two years at Villa Park.
"People were calling my players 'donkeys' and that was my reply.
"How can you expect to enjoy a job when we have struggled. there is no continuity, players are coming and going all the time because I am trying to improve the team, we go up by the skin of our teeth and now we are close to the bottom of the table?
"The club hasn't stabilised and there is continual speculation. In any job there are periods when you don't enjoy It.
"I get things wrong. I sign players who don't come off. What do you think I am? Some sort of God. You've got a normal human being.
"I got hold of a club that was going into the Third Division and we ended up in the First. I have been trying to turn the club inside out.
"I'm In the kind of Job where sackings are ten a penny. It's because people don't care about other people in this profession.
"There is life outside football. It is not the be all and end-all of everything. Whatever will be, will be.”
Graham Taylor.
“There is no rift [with Graham Taylor]. It is a load of rubbish. I am on good terms with the manager. We had a meeting this week...a normal weekly meeting.
"He came on the understanding that there would be no interference in team matters from me and I was more than happy to do that.
“The best proof is in the money that has been provided.”
Chairman Doug Ellis.
“The fans appreciate that I have always done my best.
“I hope to sort out my breathing before Saturday [after a broken nose]. I will do my damnedest to make sure Villa win I went to finish the job for Villa.
"I spoke with the manager just after Christmas. I said then I wanted to leave at the end of the season. I continue to do so."
Martin Keown.
"If a player wishes to go we cannot stop him. It is Martin's prerogative to leave that is the contractual position."
Graham Taylor.
"I know this is likely to be my last game, and even though I won't share in Villa staying in the First Division I'll do everything to help keep them there."
Allan Evans.
*Sunday Independent (Dublin)*
Sunday, 7 May 1989
Villa's relegation fears increased when they went down to a far superior Derby County side.
For long periods the home side totally outplayed Villa, although the visitors took the lead, against the run of play, in the 29th minute.
Nigel Callaghan's corner eluded Derby's static defence and bounced through to David Platt who headed past Shilton from two yards.
Derby equalised in the 36th minute with Dean Saunders's 19th goal of the season. Micklewhite's left wing corner was flicked on by Wright for Saunders to power home at the far post.
Micklewhite and Goddard all came close with efforts before Hebberd scored Derby's winner in slightly fortunate circumstances.
On the edge of the area Hebberd thumped a left foot half volley which beat Spink after taking a deflation off midfielder Mark Lillis.