*Lucky losers no pushover for Villa*

Darlington’s ebullient chairman George Reynolds had described this game as Samson and Goliath. And he was nearly right with the match proving every bit as tight as that top-of-the-bill biblical confrontation might have been. But Villa survived, just, thereby consigning Darlington to their second F.A. Cup defeat in a month, but it was the Third Division team that earned the glory.

Spurred on by 4,500 fans they produced a performance that worried the life out of their illustrious opponents and, after Paul Heckingbottom had scored the goal which put them back in the game, provided a very worrying last 20 minutes for Villa manager John Gregory.

The home side started nervously. None more so than David James in goal, who, as early as the third minute, received a back pass, hesi tated for long enough to allow Lee Nogan to close him down and at the last moment pulled himself together and cleared the ball. For the first 15 minutes Darlington, with Neil Aspin big, bald and imposing at the back, had little difficulty containing their Premiership opponents. A concerned Gregory implored his team to use their heads.

They responded with a little bit more heart and forced a couple of corners, both of which caused Mark Samways to flutter in the Darlington goal. Then they faded again. Carbone’s passing was awry, Merson tried to be too fancy and Southgate, on one occasion, strolled forward 50 yards and promptly sprayed the ball into touch.

On the half-hour, Darling ton almost seized their chance. Heaney shot from 30 yards, James inexplicably opted to palm the ball away and was only just alert enough to block Duffield’s follow-up effort.

With three minutes to half-time the man from Radio Darlington, who throughout pronounced Carbone as Car-bone, felt confident enough to announce: ‘Darlington have done their fans proud.’ A minute later, Car-bone chested the ball down, moved forward and sent a dipping 25 yard half-volley looping into the net.

Darlington immediately fought back, a Nogan header drawing a fine save from James. But Villa’s lead had relaxed them and they eased into the second-half. In the first 15 minutes of which Tay lor should have scored a hat-trick. His best effort was a shot which hit the post after he had wriggled through the area. Eventually they increased their lead when a Thompson corner was flick-headed by Dublin into the net.

Game over? Not quite. Duffield was upended by Barry in the area and took the penalty himself. James parried it and Heckingbottom swept the rebound into the net. Once again Villa became edgy, ending the game as nervously as they had started it.

At the end the man from Radio Darlington hailed it as ‘a wonderful performance’, and the players clapped the fans as their supporters gave them a standing ovation. Samson had lost on points but gained the plaudits.

---

*The Guardian*
Monday, 13 December 1999
Match report by Russell Thomas

*Gregory wins another life but loses a little respect*

From today John Gregory must view Aston Villa from a different perspective as he begins his 28-day ban from the dug-out. Perhaps he will now see his Villans in their true colours.

Gregory is in need of a dose of realism, according to his Darlington counterpart David Hodgson, whose angry reaction to a perceived put-down of his team’s challenge descended into an admission of personal animosity. “I don’t like the bloke,” he said of Gregory. “I never have.”

Minutes earlier Gregory had declared that his side’s victory “should have been easier; it should have been four or five. I thought the score flattered them”. Hodgson took offence.

“John Gregory said that?” he asked, so taken aback that he wheeled away towards the Darlington team bus. “If he thinks that, perhaps that’s why Aston Villa are where they are in the table. Perhaps he should ask Villa fans what they think.” Referring to the rows of empty seats, he added: “Perhaps that should tell him something.”

The Cup can do strange things. It can insert a knocked-out back into a knockout competition and, in the space of 90 minutes, can drain one manager’s sympathy for another. After all, Hodgson had offered Gregory a modicum of support before the match. “As a human being I feel for him … but, if he loses his job, it won’t be because of Darlington.”

Perhaps, like Darlington, everybody deserves a second chance, including Gregory. On Saturday he was indebted to Benito Carbone’s eye for the spectacular, illustrated by his first goal for the club, a crushing 20-yard volley, and to a cleverly placed Dion Dublin header amid the peak of home pressure in the second half.

That seemed insurance enough against the AXA wild cards but Darlington had not yet run out of lives. Paul Heckingbottom drove home the rebound after Peter Duffield’s penalty was parried by David James, ensuring a nervous final 18 minutes for Villa. Even if Gregory did not agree, Hodgson and the Quakers’ 5,000 fans felt their team deserved yet another chance.