Game #4888
Sunday, 16 April 2006
Attendance: 40,158
Won
Premier League
15th (-)
Birmingham City
Last 5: 🟥 🟨 🟥 🟨 🟩
Villa Park
Whatever League, whatever form, Villa always have time to beat Birmingham. As a result David O'Leary records his ninth win in thirty four Premier League games this season.
Aston Villa
3-1
Birmingham City
Assist(s) | Aaron Hughes | 10’ | Kevin Phillips | 56’ | James Milner | 78’ |
KEY MAN
Gary Cahill celebrates scoring Villa's goal of the season that also helps to beat Birmingham and earn David O'Leary just his ninth win in thirty four Premier League games, Sunday, 16 April 2006.
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
⚽ | 10’ Goal, 1-0, Milan Baroš, Assist by Aaron Hughes
🔁 | 24’ Sub off, Steven Davis, Sub on, Craig Gardner
🥅 | 25’ Goal, 1-1, (Birmingham City), Chris Sutton
🕒 | HT Aston Villa 1-1 Birmingham City
🟨 | 52’ Booking, Milan Baroš
⚽ | 56’ Goal, 2-1, Gary Cahill, Assist by Kevin Phillips
🟨 | 56’ Booking, Gary Cahill, excessive celebration
🔁 | 59’ Sub off, Kevin Phillips, Sub on, Juan Pablo Ángel
🟨 | 69’ Booking, Gavin McCann
⚽ | 78’ Goal, 3-1, Milan Baroš, Assist by James Milner
🔁 | 85’ Sub off, James Milner, Sub on, Gabriel Agbonlahor
🟨 | 86’ Booking, Gareth Barry
🕒 | FT Aston Villa 3-1 Birmingham City
ON THIS DAY
Villa win for the first time in seven and see young defender Gary Cahill score the goal of the season and add to a burgeoning and exciting reputation as a star centre back of the future at the club. As a result of the victory Villa stay 15th and David O'Leary records his ninth win in the last 39 Premier League games.
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1995-96
Birmingham City
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: ❌
FA Cup Winners: ❌
League Cup Winners: 🏆
Last Trophy: 1962-63
FIXTURE HISTORY
Birmingham City
Previous 5 vs. Birmingham: 🟨 🟨 🟥 🟥 🟩
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 2005-06 |
Matchday | #41 |
League Game | #34 |
Manager Game | #127 |
Sunday, 16 April 2006
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: David O’Leary | 🇮🇪 | Stoke Newington, 2003-2006
Referee: Graham Poll | 🏴 | Hertfordshire, 1991-2007
Kick off: 12.00pm
HT Score: 🟨 1-1
FT Score: 🟩 3-1
FT Result: 🟩 Won
Last 5: 🟥 🟨 🟥 🟨 🟩
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Graham Poll | 🏴 | Hertfordshire, 1991-2007
Previous 5: 🟥 🟨 🟩 🟨 🟨
Last Match: 🟨 19 Feb 06, Villa 1-1 Manchester City (h)
Cards: 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Jlloyd Samuel, Gareth Barry and James Milner replace Gabriel Agbonlahor, Wilfred Bouma and Lee Hendrie.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 25.07 |
Oldest Player |
F Kevin Phillips | 🏴 | 32.83 |
Youngest Player |
W James Milner | 🏴 | 20.29 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
David O'Leary | 🇮🇪 |
Steve Bruce | 🏴 |
Aston Villa
GK Thomas Sörensen | 🇩🇰 |
LB Aaron Hughes | 🇬🇧 | 🔥 |
CB Gary Cahill | 🏴 | ⚽ | 🟨 |
CB Liam Ridgewell | 🏴 |
RB Jlloyd Samuel | 🏴 |
M Steven Davis | 🇬🇧 | 🔁 |
M Gavin McCann | 🏴 | 🟨 |
M Gareth Barry | 🏴 | 🟨 |
W James Milner | 🏴 | 🔥 | 🔁 |
F Kevin Phillips | 🏴 | 🔥 | 🔁 |
F Milan Baroš | 🇨🇿 | ⚽ | 🟨 | ⚽ |
Birmingham City
GK Maik Taylor | 🇬🇧 |
CB Martin Taylor | 🏴 |
CB Kenny Cunningham | 🇮🇪 | 🔁 |
CB Mat Sadler | 🏴 |
CB Olivier Tébily | 🇨🇮 | 🟨 |
M David Dunn | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M Nicky Butt | 🏴 | 🟨 |
M Damien Johnson | 🇬🇧 | 🟨 |
W Jermain Pennant | 🏴 |
CF Emile Heskey | 🏴 |
CF Chris Sutton | 🏴 | ⚽ |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 M Craig Gardner | 🏴 | for M Steven Davis | 🇬🇧 | 24’ |
🔁 CF Juan Pablo Ángel | 🇨🇴 | for F Kevin Phillips | 🏴 | 59’ |
🔁 F Gabriel Agbonlahor | 🏴 | for W James Milner | 🏴 | 85’ |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | CB Kenny Cunningham | 🇮🇪 | (W Stan Laziridis | 🇦🇺 |)
🔁 | M David Dunn | 🏴 | (CF Mikael Forssell | 🇫🇮 |)
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Stuart Taylor | 🏴 |
RB Ulises de la Cruz | 🇪🇨 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Nico Vaesen | 🇧🇪 |
CB Alex Bruce | 🇬🇧 |
M Muzzy Izzet | 🇹🇷 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 9/11
Homegrown: 5/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 12/16
Homegrown: 7/16
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 9/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 10/16
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
“I have never looked at the relegation zone. I have kept my eyes on the teams we have a chance of catching above us.
“If we defended set plays with our two young centre backs in the second half I thought we would go on from there.
“I’m delighted for the players and the supporters. We were worthy winners.”
David O’Leary.
*BBC Sport*
Sunday, 16 April 2006
Two goals from Milan Baros and a breathtaking strike from Gary Cahill earned Aston Villa victory over troubled rivals Birmingham.
Villa led when Baros was left unmarked to lash in Aaron Hughes’ cross from close range but Birmingham drew level through Chris Sutton’s low drive.
The hosts went back in front on 56 minutes when Cahill leapt and sent a spectacular volley over Maik Taylor.
And Baros wrapped up victory with a crisp finish from a difficult angle.
The result puts Villa 10 points clear of the drop zone but leaves Birmingham, who dropped into the bottom three on Saturday after Portsmouth’s win, three points from safety with four games remaining.
The Blues suffered another blow before the kick-off when Matthew Upson ruptured his Achilles tendon in the warm-up.
But Steve Bruce’s side made a positive start, with Sutton and Emile Heskey looking to outmuscle Aston Villa’s young centre-backs Cahill and Liam Ridgewell.
Thomas Sorensen was called into action inside four minutes, saving from Nicky Butt, but the keeper did not help ease the nerves of his defence with several terrible clearances early on.
However, as soon as Villa went on the attack for the first time, they discovered the visitors’ backline was equally suspect.
To be fair to Birmingham, the linesman should have flagged when James Milner caught Matthew Sadler in the face with a high boot.
Milner then fed Hughes, whose cross evaded everyone except the unmarked Baros, who, from two yards out, had time to pull the ball down before finishing.
Bruce looked on exasperated and matters got worse for the Blues boss when David Dunn, who had looked sharp, limped off to be replaced by Mikael Forssell.
However, Villa were to suffer an injury blow of their own when Steven Davis came off to be replaced by Craig Gardner and moments after, Birmingham drew level.
Sutton and Heskey’s menace in the box proved decisive, the latter winning a header which dropped for his strike partner to drive in through a crowd of players.
But it was another defensive lapse which eventually led to Villa’s second, nine minutes after the restart.
Olivier Tebily’s weak header hit Kevin Phillips in the box and he eventually headed towards Cahill.
The 20-year-old, in only his fourth appearance for the club, launched himself into the air and volleyed over Taylor and into the opposite corner.
The youngster was booked for celebrating his first goal for Villa with the fans, but you could hardly blame him for his over-exuberance.
Birmingham immediately went in search of another equaliser, and Sorensen kept his side in front when he got down quickly to smother Forssell’s snapshot.
But with the visitors dominating, Villa struck on the counter-attack, Baros beginning and ending the move which ended Birmingham’s hopes of a recovery.
*Aston Villa manager David O’Leary:*
“I have never looked at the relegation zone. I have kept my eyes on the teams we have a chance of catching above us.
“If we defended set plays with our two young centre backs in the second half I thought we would go on from there.
“I’m delighted for the players and the supporters. We were worthy winners.”