Game #4327
Saturday, 27 August 1994
Attendance: 23,305
Drew
Premier League
12th (-)
Crystal Palace
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟨 🟨 🟨
Villa Park
Villa draw for the third time in seven days as Paul McGrath and Mark Bosnich collide to gift Gareth Southgate and Palace a late equaliser.
Aston Villa
1-1
Crystal Palace
Assist(s) | Not recorded
KEY MAN
Steve Staunton, wicked inswinger
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
🕒 | HT Aston Villa 0-0 Crystal Palace
⚽ | 46’ Goal, 1-0, Steve Staunton
🥅 | 86’ Goal, 1-1, (Crystal Palace), Gareth Southgate
🔁 | 88’ Sub off, Ray Houghton, Sub on, Dwight Yorke
🕒 | FT Aston Villa 0-0 Crystal Palace
ON THIS DAY
Villa under Ron Atkinson had now won just 2 of their last 15 Premier League games but were unbeaten in the last 4.
Future Villa centre back Gareth Southgate scored for Palace on 86’.
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1993-94
Crystal Palace
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: ❌
FA Cup Winners: ❌
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: ❌
FIXTURE HISTORY
Crystal Palace
Previous 5 vs. Palace: 🟨 🟥 🟨 🟩 🟥
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1994-95 |
Matchday | #3 |
League Match | #3 |
Manager Game | #162 |
Saturday, 27 August 1994
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Ron Atkinson | 🏴 | Liverpool, 1991-1994
Referee: Joe Worrall | 🏴 | Warrington, 1976-1995
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟨 0-0
FT Score: 🟨 1-1
FT Result: 🟨 Drew
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟨 🟨 🟨
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Joe Worrall | 🏴 | Warrington, 1976-1995
Previous 5: 🟨 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟥
Last Match: 🟥 19 March 1994, Villa 1-2 Oldham, Villa Park.
Incidents: 🟨 🟨
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Steve Staunton is recalled in place of Phil King whilst Dalian Atkinson and Earl Barrett return to the line up with Garry Parker and Dwight Yorke dropping out.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 28.76 |
Oldest Player |
CB Paul McGrath | 🇮🇪 | 34.75 |
Youngest Player |
CB Ugo Ehiogu | 🏴 | 21.83 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Ron Atkinson | 🏴 |
Alan Smith | 🏴 |
Aston Villa
GK Mark Bosnich | 🇦🇺 |
LB Steve Staunton | 🇮🇪 | ⚽ |
RB Earl Barrett | 🏴 |
CB Ugo Ehiogu | 🏴 |
CB Paul McGrath | 🇮🇪 |
M Ray Houghton | 🇮🇪 | 🔁 |
M Kevin Richardson | 🏴 |
M Andy Townsend | 🇮🇪 |
CF John Fashanu | 🏴 |
CF Dean Saunders | 🏴 |
CF Dalian Atkinson | 🏴 |
Crystal Palace
GK Nigel Martyn | 🏴 |
RB Darren Patterson | 🇬🇧 | 🟨 |
CB Richard Shaw | 🏴 |
CB Chris Coleman | 🏴 |
LB Dean Gordon | 🏴 | 🟨 |
M Ricky Newman | 🏴 |
M Gareth Southgate | 🏴 | ⚽ |
M Simon Rodger | 🏴 | 🔁 |
W John Salako | 🏴 |
CF Bruce Dyer | 🏴 | 🔁 |
CF Chris Armstrong | 🏴 |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | CF Dwight Yorke | 🇹🇹 | for M Ray Houghton | 🇮🇪 | 88’ |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | M Simon Rodger | 🏴 | (CB Ian Cox | 🏴 |)
🔁 | CF Bruce Dyer | 🏴 | (RB Darren Pitcher | 🏴 |)
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Nigel Spink | 🏴 |
LB Phil King | 🏴 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Rhys Wilmot | 🏴 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 6/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 8/14
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 14/14
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
M Garry Parker
GK Michael Oakes
M Nii Lamptey
CB Shaun Teale
F Graham Fenton
CF Guy Whittingham
M Dave Farrell
D Chris Boden
LB Bryan Small
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
"Rocks for brains.
“I don't know what they were doing or thinking of.
“We committed suicide.
“We were in control, but you are never safe at 1-0.”
Ron Atkinson.
*Birmingham Evening Mail*
Monday, 29 August 1994
MAYBE it's a little early to start pushing panic buttons but the signs are worrying to say the least.
Three matches into the new season Villa are still looking for their first win, a statistic which sounds rather less drastic when you consider they haven't lost either.
Where concern begins to creep into the equation, however, is when you take a closer look at the strength of the opposition so far and the manner in which two of Villa's three draws have been achieved.
After a promising opening day performance at Everton, Ron Atkinson's men have contrived to squander leads in the final minutes of two consecutive home matches.
Even that would be of only minor concern if they had been playing the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle or Blackburn.
But where Big Ron's men have stumbled embarrassingly against modest opponents, other clubs have capitalised in ruthless fashion.
Everton slumped 4-0 at Manchester City on Saturday, Southampton were on the receiving end of a 5-1 drubbing. And I'm sure sure Crystal Palace's 6-1 demolition by Liverpool nine days ago will remain an enduring memory throughout the season.
Not that there was ever any question of Palace suffering a similar humiliation on Saturday. Villa had the edge, no question about that. But merely having greater possession on home territory is not going to win any trophies.
Once again they forced their way in front, this time through Steve Staunton's wickedly inswinging corner, only to lack the application to finish the job.
Well before skipper Gareth Southgate plundered Palace's equaliser, three minutes from time, the warning signals had been flashing.
With Paul McGrath never fully at ease against the pace of front runners Chris Armstrong and Bruce Dyer and Earl Barrett only just settling back in, Villa's defence always looked vulnerable. And, while Kevin Richardson's return to the anchor man role offered greater stability in midfield, that crucial department still did not function as it should.
Andy Townsend still hasn't recaptured the driving energy for which Villa paid £2.1 million and which we witnessed only fleetingly last season.
And this summer's new boy John Fashanu is taking time to settle. Fash the Bash could hardly have enjoyed a better debut, scoring at Goodison Park on the opening day and forming a formidable partnership with Dean Saunders.
But he has so tar failed to convince the Villa Park faithful and never seriously threatened Palace.
True, Fashanu's arrival has given Villa an extra attacking option and created competition among the likes of Yorke, Atkinson and the currently sidelined Guy Whittingham.
The same can also be said of Phil King - unlucky to be left out on Saturday and Nii Lamptey, yet to make his Premiership debut.
But all the options in the world do not guarantee good performances.
Villa should really have seven points in the bag by now. The fact it is only three is indicative that, despite a wealth of choices, they still haven't stumbled on the formula for success.