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Villa have night of misery

ASTON VILLA suffered heartrending misery in Milan as the Italian superstars of Inter over turned a two-goal first leg deficit to reach the UEFA Cup third round.

The bleak reality of five years’ European exile was driven home in front of new England manager Graham Taylor as his old club were slowly, but relentlessly whittled down by a team containing eight expensive World Cup internationals.

Villa will complain that Alessandro Bianchi's decisive third goal should have been disallowed; that the pitch was a disgrace to the magnificent setting of the San Siro; and that Russian referee Alexei Spirin leaned over backwards to satisfy the baying 80,000 Italian crowd.

After seven minutes West German striker Jurgen KLINSMANN scored for Inter. Only Derek Mountfield was able to pursue him as he raced on to a huge long ball from the back from Sergio Battistini and even then he could not get close enough to do more than try to tug him down. This was not enough to prevent Klinsmann sliding the ball wide of Nigel Spink.

Cascarino came desperately close to scoring the away goal that would have transformed the tie eight minutes later, but even though Walter Zenga was stranded by Chris Price's cross from the right, Cascarino's looping header dropped inches wide.

Cascarino put another header just wide before the break.

But in the 62nd minute the Italians pulled level on aggregate from Matthaus's right wing free kick, conceded by Villa captain Stuart Gray.

The cross was deflected wickedly, Villa's mass defence lunged but missed and Nicola Beni was unmarked at the far post to wallop in the second.

If the second goal was unlucky, the decisive third goal was full of controversy.

Klinsmann was clearly offside when Brehme punted the ball down the left to relieve Villa pressure, but the referee waved play on.

Then when McGrath blocked Pizzi, the Italian recovered but crossed the ball from behind the byeline.

Villa's arms were still raised in protest as BIANCHI volleyed the ball home.

Dubious decisions seal Inter victory

It was the manner of their defeat which really stuck in the throat.

The third and killing knock-out 75th minute goal was the one that finally clinched it for Inter.

Fausto Pizzi’s cross from the left was at least a foot out over the left byline before Alessandro Bianchi drove a powerful shot through Nigel Spink's legs at the far post.

The TV cameras also revealed that Jurgen Klinsmann and Aldo Serena were offside as full-back Andreas Brehme knocked the ball forward.

Paul McGrath signalled that the ball had crossed the by-line but referee Spirin ignored Villa’s complaints leaving them powerless to counteract the brilliant comeback from their highly-regarded opponents.

Inter’s second goal after 62 minutes was another bone of contention in the Villa camp with substitute Antonio Paganin falling over skipper Stuart Gray's legs after the full-back had fairly nicked the ball away from him.

West Germany's World Cup winning captain Lothar Matthaus swung the free-kick from the right corner over Villa’s defence with Kent Nielsen just failing to hook it away and Nicola Berti rammed a low left-foot shot across Spink into the far corner of the net.

Villa manager Jozef Venglos diplomatically avoided the clear controversy and instead said:

"That was an expensive experience, but one our players have to undergo.

"When the draw was made we knew were playing against one of the best teams in the world.

“They are all great players."

Inter's decisive third goal clearly angered all the Villa party, but boss Venglos would say only:

"In my opinion the third goal was completely offside. But that’d up to the referee and I don’t want say anything more about it.”

Inter manager Giovanni Trapattoni said: "That is one of the best matches of my career. To turn round a 2-0 deficit is very difficult and I’m very proud.

“But Aston Villa proved again they are very good side.

"Midfielder Fausto Pizzi. at the heart of controversy about Inter's third goal said:

"I don't know if the ball was over the line. I wasn't sure if it was half out or completely out. It's got be entirely out.”

Paul McGrath however was adamant that the ball had crossed the line and was out of play before Pizzi got to it.

McGrath admitted was appealing even before the ball was struck, and said afterwards:

"It was out. There's no doubt about it in my mind. I couldn't believe it when the referee waved play on."

Meanwhile the Birmingham Evening Mail disgrace themselves with this diatribe of nonsense that takes some believing that it was allowed to pass any sort of editorial standard:

“Don't whinge about defeat

“THE camera did not lie but surely Aston Villa will not fool themselves into believing they were cheated out of the UEFA Cup competition.

“No matter how incensed supporters may be about one blatantly incorrect decision and another even more critical in the context of the game that was dubious, the only serious complaint should be about Villa's second half performance.

“Bleats about Alexei Spirin's refereeing are pointless.

“They alter nothing but the accuser's choleric.

“We don't want to be whingeing Brummies, do we?”