Football: Merson keeps Gregory's boys on top

Aston Villa 1

Merson 15

Derby County 0

Attendance: 38,007

VILLA ARE still keeping the voice of the Midlands heard. For how long it remains audible against clubs who are not yet in full cry, who knows? But yesterday's victory over previously unbeaten Derby County was their seventh game undefeated, with one goal conceded, a post-war record.

To be realistic, this was a top-of-the-table match that come the end of the season will probably be remembered as an occasion when two teams who had benefited from the sluggish starts of more likely champions would rather not have slugged it out against each other. Defeat threatened them both with a stumble from dizzy heights, although probably not free-fall because neither side is likely to sink beneath the upper-middle section of the Premiership.

Derby had not been convincing in their Worthington Cup tie against Manchester City. They went through but were booed by people with little sense of perspective. After all, it was back in the mid-1970s when Derby were last doing this well in the league. But Jim Smith is being typically sensible and talking about early success merely providing points in the bank - security in case of harder times around the corner.

Both clubs had reached the top by remembering that defence is the first line of attack. That assumed a tight match yesterday with the need for the unexpected, which almost came about as early as the third minute when a mighty shot from 30-odd yards by Paulo Wanchope required the full stretch in the air of Mark Bosnich to keep Villa out of early trouble.

Paul Merson's running with the ball and thoughtful passing was essential to Villa's calm response to that initial shock. Appropriately, he took them into a 15th-minute lead. Julian Joachim and Lee Carsley challenged for the ball in midfield. Their impetus forced "the best pass of the match" as Smith called it later, into the path of Merson, who himself forced Russell Hoult to emerge from goal to narrow the angle. Merson simply waited his moment before tapping the ball past the goalkeeper.

Derby were unable to do much by way of a quick recovery. Keeping possession everywhere but turning it to good use particularly well in midfield, Villa reduced them to the occasional counter-attack, although in those Wanchope was a lithe, yet powerful, threat. Neither of Derby's wing-backs, Rory Delap and Robert Kozluk, could very often escape defensive responsibilities, and when they did, Alan Wright and Gary Charles matched them for speed.

Serious danger to Villa came only twice in the first half when Darryl Powell and Lars Bohinen combined brightly to infiltrate deep into the penalty area. However, Ugo Ehiogu calmly cut out the danger, as did Gareth Barry, skilfully, when pursuing and subduing Dean Sturridge as he broke fast into the penalty area.

Slightly encouraged, Derby began the second half by pushing Delap forward to provide more ammunition for Wanchope and Sturridge. When Delap threaded his way down the left and cut in, his pass towards the near post saw Wanchope turn and have a fierce cross-shot turned over by Bosnich.

Villa pulled themselves together and needed to. A minute after that escape, they watched in astonishment as Alan Thompson found Ian Taylor in the Derby goal area. Taylor's instant stab at the ball was somehow blocked virtually on the line by Hoult.

Thompson continued to irritate Derby, once driving a thundering shot from distance. Hoult was again alert to it and Derby made efforts to revamp their formation in a last attempt to get on terms. With Francesco Baiano taking an inside-forward position and the impressive Delap switching to the right side, certainly they became more dangerous without sustaining pressure.

So Villa's progress under the pragmatic management of John Gregory continues promisingly enough. But lurking ominously in the small print at the back of yesterday's programme were the forthcoming fixtures before Christmas, which include Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal. In their present mean form they will face the future defiantly.