JOZEF VENGLOS, Aston Villa's new boss, saw his fighting side rudely kicked in the teeth last night.

Villa slid to a heartbreaking defeat, and are now fixed perilously close to the foot of the table, without a win in their opening three matches.

Manchester's City stand-in keeper, Andy Dibble - called in at almost the last minute - defied Villa's desperate efforts in a pulsating finish.

It leaves Venglos staring at the harsh facts of First Division life, facing an uphill struggle to revive last season's championship challenge.

English soccer can be the cruellest game in the world, because Villa could rightly claim they , deserved at least one point.

Czechoslovakian World Cup coach Venglos, who succeeded England's Graham Taylor at Villa Park, confessed before the game: "I am still learning."

Their rapid fire counter-attacks threatened to cut Howard Kendall's City to ribbons during the first half, after Tony Cascarino hit the bar.

And it needed a controversial penalty at the start of the second half to push City's noses in front just when Villa, were scenting that elusive victory.

Paul McGrath seemed to make contact with the ball in his initial challenge on striker Niall Quinn. Then the two Republic of Ireland internationals tangled again, very briefly, and Whitley Bay referee John Watson pointed to the spot.

Outraged Villa protested in vain but it made no difference.

Ward coolly slotted the ball inside Nigel Spink's left-hand post. Suddenly, the adrenalin was pumping through City's veins, despite the blow of losing skipper, Paul Lake after 55 minutes, hurt in a seemingly innocuous incident.

Lake was carried off on a stretcher, and replaced by Steve Redmond, with the first bulletin from the dressing room speaking of possible damaged knee ligaments.

Villa's anger and frustration over the penalty pushed them into a pulsating finale, but not until City had delivered the potential killer blow.

With 10 minutes left former Everton left-back Neil Pointon swapped passes with the impressive Quinn and then toe-ended his shot inches beyond Spink's despairing grasp.

A minute later Pointon boobed at the other end, bringing down the persistent Platt with a tackle from behind. Platt, who had claimed a spot kick from the hapless Watson after falling in the area only six minutes earlier, got up to beat Dibble from the 12-yard mark.

But it was then left to Dibble to deny Villa a point with a series of brilliant reaction saves.

Venglos said: "We deserved a better result and had a lot of quality out there.

"The players should not lose confidence after a performance like tonight's."