23 August 08

Over the past twelve months or so, copious praise has been heaped on the coaching staff through the medium of these reports, so hopefully they will not take too much offence if I ask – what on earth was that all about!

Having played some highly entertaining and effective stuff in recent weeks, for some reason the decision was taken to abandon the tried and trusted 4-4-2 in favour of ..... well in favour of something, but none of us on the sidelines could figure out what, and unfortunately, it looked like the players couldn't either. As a result we had ninety minutes without a legitimate effort on the Rovers goal from open play.

The reshaped formation caused chaos from the outset, with Villa all at sixes and sevens during an opening ten minute spell from which they were fortunate to emerge with the scoreline still blank. To be fair, the lads settled, and although they never really looked like getting their noses in front, neither in fact did the visitors. The closest we came to an opener was a very cleverly disguised long range free kick from Gavin Cooper which produced an equally impressive palm over from the Rovers keeper who reacted well with a late change of direction.

Eliott Dunn and George Craddock tried to make the best of what little service they got, and in fact the latter had the ball in the net twice, but on both occasions from an obvious off side starting position. Dunn did find himself through one on one with thirty minutes on the clock, but the visiting keeper was alert to this and pretty much everything else that came his way throughout.

Half time came and went without much change in the pattern of play. Everything Villa tried seemed to be down the middle where two capable centre backs dealt comfortably, especially with anything in the air, whilst at the other end, Baxter was having an equally sweat free afternoon.

With defences on top, it seemed that the afternoon was destined to end in stalemate. Then, with twenty minutes left to go, Stuart Bingham was forced to give way to his ongoing injury worry, and suddenly Wren Rovers started to find joy where there had been none. Baxter was forced into a last ditch save with feet in one of the now increasing raids into the Villa box. If the shape was confusing before, at least after the first ten or fifteen things had settled, but now there was no shape at all, and the playmakers were anonymous going forward, but fortunately no real threat was obvious coming the other way. With players in unfamiliar roles, however, it was almost inevitable that it would be a defensive mistake if anything that would break the deadlock, and sure enough Tobin was presented with the chance to grab all three points for his side in a match where it seemed increasingly obvious that both would have been happy not to lose.

Villa were stung into finishing with a flurry, and for virtually the first time tried to open things up using the flanks, but with only five minutes remaining, it was all too little, too late, and we were left with the feeling that three points had gone west, in all senses of the expression.

Wednesday sees Villa travel to Burnley United (6.15) who have yet to register a point, so the lads should be looking to get things back on track quickly.

ViIlla Line-Up; Baxter, C.Chambers, Davies, L.Chambers, Bolton, Bingham (Kirkpatrick70), Woodman, Atherton (Briggs 86), Cooper, Craddock hone 75), Dunn