PHILLIPS GOAL SENDS VILLA THROUGH

By Ryan Ghee
October 26 2005

A solitary Kevin Phillips goal mid-way through the first half ensured that Villa defeated Championship side Burnley and earned them a place in the draw for the last 16 of the Carling Cup.

After Villa's 8-3 victory over Wycombe in the last round of the competition, the fans may have been slightly disappointed that this game only produced one goal. With Villa failing to create many clear-cut chances and Burnley operating with a lone striker, this match never threatened to be a repeat of the 11-goal thriller that graced the Causeway Stadium five weeks ago.

It was the home side who controlled the opening exchanges but despite having much of the possession, Villa couldn't create a clear chance on goal.

The Kevin Phillips goal, which arrived after 22 minutes of play, was the first real chance that either side had mustered during the match. The Villa striker linked up well with James Milner before bearing down on the Burnley goal and cooly slotting the ball past Brian Jensen.

After taking the lead, The Villans took a cautious approach and they were nearly punished when Ade Akinbiyi came close to equalising for the visitors. The lone striker thought his effort was heading for the back of the net but Sorensen was equal to it and ensured that Villa went in at the break with a one-goal cushion.

Aston Villa started the second-half with a lot more intent as they pressurised the Burnley goal in the hope of doubling their advantage. Juan Pablo Angel came very close to doing so just minutes after the restart but his shot dropped onto the roof of the Burnley net.

Ade Akinbiyi had another chance to get The Clarets back into the tie but again, he wasted the opportunity and blasted the ball high into the stand.

With the minutes ticking away and Villa's passage into the last 16 becoming ever nearer, the away side pushed forward in numbers but failed to find the equaliser.

In fact, it was Villa who came closest to scoring the second goal of the night but Gareth Barry failed to control his left foot drive and it whistled past the upright.

As the final whistle sounded, a sense of relief found it's way around Villa Park. With The Villans in a lowly 15th place in the Premiership table, the fans know that that the Carling Cup is their only real chance of silverware so lets hope for a kind draw in the next round and a safe passage into the quarter-finals.