Game #4285
Tuesday, 26 October 1993
Attendance: 23,692
Won
League Cup 3rd Round
3rd Round
Sunderland
Last 5: 🟩 🟨 🟨 🟩 🟩
Roker Park
An outstanding goalkeeping performance from Mark Bosnich helps Villa to victory over second tier Sunderland in the League Cup.
Sunderland
1-4
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | Not recorded
KEY MAN
Mark Bosnich, "potentially" best in the World.
RELATED MATCHES
MATCH TIMELINE
⚽ | 27’ Goal, 1-0, Dalian Atkinson
⚽ | 33’ Goal, 2-0, Kevin Richardson
🕒 | HT Sunderland 0-2 Aston Villa
🥅 | 47’ Goal, 2-1, (Sunderland)
🔁 | 74’ Sub off, Guy Whittingham, Sub on, Ray Houghton
⚽ | 75’ Goal, 3-1, Ray Houghton
⚽ | 90’ Goal, 4-1, Dalian Atkinson
🕒 | FT Sunderland 1-4 Aston Villa
ON THIS DAY
Villa progress to the 4th Round of the League Cup after a resounding victory on Wearside.
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1981-82
Sunderland
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: 1972-73
FIXTURE HISTORY
Previous 5 vs. Sunderland: 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1993-94 |
Matchday | #18 |
Manager Game | #120 |
Tuesday, 26 October 1993
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Ron Atkinson | 🏴 | Liverpool, 1991-1994
Referee: Alan Flood | 🏴 | Stockport, 1986–1995
HT Score: 🟩 2-0
FT Score: 🟩 4-1
FT Result: 🟩 Won
Last 5: 🟩 🟨 🟨 🟩 🟩
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Alan Flood | 🏴 | Stockport, 1986–1995
Previous 5: 🟨 🟩
Last Match: 🟩 8 May 1991, Villa 2-1 Norwich, Villa Park.
Cards: None
CARDS
Villa
None
Sunderland
None
TEAM NEWS
Paul McGrath, Bryan Small and Garry Parker return as Guy Whittingham, Dean Saunders and Gordon Cowans make way.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 27.62 |
Oldest Player |
CB Paul McGrath | 🇮🇪 | 33.92 |
Youngest Player |
GK Mark Bosnich | 🇦🇺 | 21.80 |
MANAGER
Ron Atkinson | 🏴 |
MANAGER
Terry Butcher | 🏴 |
Aston Villa
GK Mark Bosnich | 🇦🇺 |
RB Earl Barrett | 🏴 |
CB Paul McGrath | 🇮🇪 |
CB Shaun Teale | 🏴 |
LB Bryan Small | 🏴 |
M Garry Parker | 🏴 |
M Andy Townsend | 🇮🇪 |
M Kevin Richardson | 🏴 | ⚽ |
W Tony Daley | 🏴 |
CF Dalian Atkinson | 🏴 | ⚽ | ⚽ |
CF Guy Whittingham | 🏴 | 🔁 |
Sunderland
GK Alec Chamberlain | 🏴 |
D Richard Ord | 🏴 | 🔁 |
CB Andy Melville | 🏴 |
M Gordon Armstrong | 🏴 |
M Gary Owers | 🏴 |
M Martin Gray | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M Kevin Ball | 🏴 |
M Brian Atkinson | 🏴 |
CF Martin Smith | 🏴 |
CF Phil Gray | 🏴 | ⚽ |
CF Don Goodman | 🏴 |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | M Ray Houghton | 🇮🇪 | ⚽ | for CF Guy Whittingham | 🏴 | 74' |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | D Richard Ord | 🏴 | (CB Gary Bennett | 🏴 |)
🔁 | M Martin Gray | 🏴 | (W Jamie Lawrence | 🇯🇲 |)
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Nigel Spink | 🏴 |
CB Ugo Ehiogu | 🏴 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Tony Norman | 🏴 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 8/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 10/14
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 13/14
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
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
TABLE
PROGRAMME



MATCHDAY QUOTES
"At 2-0 up I thought we were on for a 3-3 draw.
"We won 4-1 but we owe that result to our goalkeeper.
“We took a battering."
Ron Atkinson.
“I’m not the best in the world and it embarrasses me when he says that.
“I wish he would say potentially because I have still got so much to learn.”
Mark Bosnich.
*Evening Herald*
Wednesday, 27 October 1993
Mark Bosnich is not easily embarrassed but there is one thing that makes even the brash Aussie bashful.
He cringes every time his Aston Villa manager Ron Atkinson hails him as "the best goalkeeper in the world".
But Bosnich lived up to the billing with a brilliant display in Villa's 4-1 Coca-Cola Cup triumph against Sunderland, which earned a standing ovation from the Roker Park crowd.
He was named man-of-the-match after an incredible string of saves to break the hearts of first division Sunderland, who, despite the scoreline, played Villa off the park.
Bosnich goes red when reminded of the manager's words and says: “I’m not the best in the world and it embarrasses me when he says that. I wish he would say potentially because I have still got so much to learn.
While Bosnich was keeping Terry Butcher's side at bay, his team mates were staging an audacious smash-and-grab raid.
Dalian Atkinson put Villa in front from their first attack after 27 minutes and seven minutes later skipper Kevin Richardson made it 2-0.
But such was the Sunderland pressure that Ron Atkinson quipped: "At 2-0 up I thought we were on for a 3-3 draw."
His fears looked like materialising when Phil Gray finally beat Bosnich within minutes of the restart, but he refused to be beaten again and made one incredible save from Martin Smith, as well as denying the ever-dangerous Don Goodman.
Villa substitute Ray Houghton then added insult to injury when he scored with his first touch after 75 minutes, before Dalian Atkinson grabbed his second in the 89th minute.
Ron Atkinson summed it up saying: "We won 4-1 but we owe that result to our goalkeeper. We took a battering."