*Sorensen saves a share of the spoils*

History repeated itself in remarkable fashion as Thomas Sorensen, the Villa keeper, won another penalty showdown with Alan Shearer and provided Newcastle United supporters with a further reason to dislike him.

Sorensen was barracked from the start by a crowd who recalled only too well how he earned Sunderland a derby victory here by diving to his left to block a Shearer spot-kick three years ago.

Yesterday, in the same goal, Sorensen plunged in the same direction to beat away Shearer’s well-struck 80th-minute effort and end Newcastle’s pursuit of a fifth successive league win.

David O’Leary, the Villa manager, who invested £2 million in Sorensen in the summer, said: ‘Newcastle are an attack-minded team who always ask questions of keepers. Thomas answered them all. He’s played well from the start, but has really settled down in the last couple of weeks. There’s a real presence about him now - he rules in the box and gives everyone confidence. He’s a steal at £2 million.’

It was a far less satisfying return to the North East, however, for another Villa player. Gavin McCann, the aggressive midfielder who was also signed from Sunderland, was sent off in the 70th minute. McCann, booked minutes earlier for a foul on Lee Bowyer,
slid in late on Laurent Robert, and received his second yellow card.

O’Leary was also unhappy over referee Matt Messias’s decision to show the first yellow card for the clash with Lee Bowyer. ‘I thought the referee got it totally wrong. He picked out the wrong player,’ said O’Leary, but his view received little support from Sir Bobby Robson: ‘I don’t know what the argument is about. I was about two feet away and it was a foul on Bowyer.’

Robson was more concerned about his team’s failure to turn possession into goals after Dion Dublin, outstanding at the back for Villa, moved forward to head in Gareth Barry’s 11th-minute corner.

The manager said: ‘Arsenal have won 4-1 at Leeds today and will have had nothing like the possession of the ball that we had. It’s a shame that we didn’t win because there was nothing wrong with our football.

‘We have had enough chances in our last two games to have won four matches and we haven’t won either of them.’

Sorensen and Dublin were the primary reasons for Robson’s frustration, which began in the second minute when Laurent Robert failed with an excellent chance created by Shola Ameobi.

It set the tone for the first-half, with Sorensen saving impressively from Shearer and Bowyer before Robert took advantage of a poor clearance to thump United level from the edge of the area two minutes into stoppage time.

Sorensen twice beat away shots from Robert in the second-half and Aaron Hughes jabbed a good opportunity wide before the dramatic penalty climax.

‘It wasn’t Alan Shearer’s day, but I won’t criticise him,’ said Robson. ‘He’s his own master at penalties. He has taken far more and I leave it to him to sort it out.’

Meanwhile, O’Leary waits for his first away win as Villa’s manager, but believes it will not be delayed long. He said: ‘We are looking solid at the back, but must take our chances. It was disappointing to concede a goal just before half-time, but I was pleased at the way we dug in.’