VILLA STUN EVERTON WITH FOUR-GOAL THRASHING

By Ryan Ghee
December 26 2005

Aston Villa thrashed Everton 4-0 at Villa Park this evening to record their first Boxing Day victory since 1999. Milan Baros led the way with a brace, with Mark Delaney and Juan Pablo completing the rout.

Milan Baros opened the scoring in a very controversial incident 34 minutes into the match, before Mark Delaney doubled the lead with a rare goal of his own. Juan Pablo Angel scored only his second goal of the season after replacing Luke Moore in attack and Baros notched a second to give Villa their first Boxing Day victory in six years.

Prior to kick-off, both sides were locked on 17 points with only goal difference seperating them so, admittedly, this was a match which neither team could afford to lose.

Aston Villa boss David O'Leary reverted to his more familiar and far more positive 4-4-2 formation with Luke Moore joining Milan Baros upfront and Juan Pablo Angel forced to make do with a place on the bench.

The rare front-line partnership between the two seemed to work from the off as Villa searched for an early goal and Moore and Baros terrorised Everton debutant Per Kroldrup.

The Danish centre-back was given an early insight into what he can expect in the Premiership when Moore shrugged off his challenge before sending the ball just wide of the post and Baros then caught him napping, only to be denied by the fit-again Nigel Martyn in the Everton goal.

Despite the early promise, the hosts failed to keep up their attack-minded dominance and with 17 minutes on the clock, former Villa target James Beattie almost broke the deadlock as his header flew over Thomas Sorensen's crossbar.

With neither team able to take control of proceedings, the game threatened to become a scrappy affair, but 34 minutes into the match, Milan Baros got behind the Everton defence and, quite literally, handed Aston Villa the lead.

The Czech international blatantly controlled Gareth Barry's cross with his hand before lobbing the ball over Martyn from close range. Despite the visitors' protests, Mike Riley awarded the goal and Villa went in at the break with a rather fortunate one-goal cushion.

At half-time, David O'Leary must have told his claret and blue troops to extend the lead as soon as possible because within two minutes of the restart, Mark Delaney doubled the Villa advantage with only his second goal in 182 Aston Villa appearances.

James Milner whipped in a corner from the left and , arriving first at the near post, Wales international Mark Delaney cooly flicked the ball inside the far post.

With the two goal cushion came some much-needed confidence, something epitomised by the hard-working Milan Baros.

The striker continued to trouble debutant Per Kroldrup at the heart of the Everton defence; firstly forcing the defender into a desperate block and then calling upon Nigel Martyn to keep the Toffees' slim hopes of a result still alive.

At the other end, Simon Davies finally forced a save out Villa goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen but his long range effort was comfortably dealt with by the Danish stopper.

With his team staring defeat in the face once again, David Moyes decided to throw Marcus Bent and Duncan Ferguson into the equation but it did little for his side's fortunes as minutes later, Villa caught them on the break and added two quick-fire goals to make it 4-0.

With eight minutes remaining, substitute Juan Pablo Angel linked up brilliantly with Milan Baros, and the Columbian showed O'Leary what he is capable of with a clinical finish from close range.

Two minutes later, Aston Villa fans were given a final Christmas treat when the Everton defence collapsed altogether and Milan Baros converted Aaron Hughes' cross to make it Aston Villa 4, Everton 0.