Agbonlahor reaps benefit from Young touch of genius

Aston Villa 4 Bolton Wanderers 2

By James Corrigan at Villa Park

Sunday, 14 December 2008

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Aston Villa, taking further advantage of Arsenal's spell in the doldrums, duly cruised into the top four of the Premier League yesterday and did so with a buffeting wind in their sails. Not only did they overcome their own indifferent home form and a belligerent Bolton side who have, of late, emerged as the division's away-day specialists, but also a refereeing gaffe that was absurd to the point of being comical.

Fortunately for Lee Probert his inexcusable error was ultimately deemed irrelevant. Instead, Villa Park went away feverishly discussing the performance of their two spring-heeled starlets and looking forward to the next home game – the Gunners on Boxing Day – and yes, beyond with a level anticipation not experienced in these parts for years.

"I'm exhilarated, I really am, and when I go up to Manchester tonight for my nephew's wedding party I'm going to be boasting," Martin O'Neill said. The Ulsterman was laughing – but certainly not joking.

He clearly has no need for false modesty with Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor in his ranks; the duo with the dynamite in their boots that O'Neill labelled last night as "absolutely outstanding today". The former's display was as emphatic as one would expect from a player hailed by his manager last week as a "genius" and as being as good as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi; but Agbonlahor lit just as many stars on a winter's afternoon electrified by incident. Thank goodness the referee's blunder did not take a higher billing.

Fair enough, Mr Probert may have missed the handball by Gary Cahill – which was, as it happens, on the Maradona side of blatant – but he could not have missed his assistant official, Phil Sharp, furiously waving his flag, presumably to alert him to the penalty. But the West Country official stood his ground and ordered the corner he originally awarded to be taken.

It was a shame as the controversy blighted an opening spell which went this way and that, taking the emotions with it. First Bolton struck, when their Swedish striker Johan Elmander audaciously reverse-flicked home Kevin Davies' cross after 17 minutes and then almost struck again when Gretar Rafn Steinsson's header thundered off the crossbar in the 22nd minute. Three minutes later, the Icelandic full-back was beginning to sense how costly his miss was to prove.

Agbonlahor's equaliser oozed class, "a piece of magic", as O'Neill rightly described it. The young England man nodded Martin Laursen's long ball into his own space away from Andy O'Brien before converting a left-footer inside Jussi Jaaskelainen's near post.

In contrast, Davies own-goal in the 40th oozed misfortune. He could not really be faulted as Laursen was waiting just behind to put away Gareth Barry's cross and Davies – who was to grab a consolation in the final minutes – felt compelled to act. And anyway, Agbonlahor and Young were soon to ease his embarrassment, as they turned their screw and proceeded to wring every last ounce of fight from Bolton with their pace, allied to their lateral movement, allied to their overload of skill and talent.

Their golden moment in unison came in the 68th minute when Young produced one of those glorious curling centres of his into the six-yard box to present his big pal with the easiest of goals. Ten minutes later, it was Agbonlahor's turn to do the legwork, jinking and jiving his green boots into the box and finding Young with his neat pull-back. Messi, himself, would have been proud of Young's nonchalant finish.

Gary Megson certainly recognised the quality of both the individual and the outfit. "I've said it before but if any team is going to break into the top four it is Villa," the vanquished manager said. For now they are already there.

Attendance: 35,134

Referee: Lee Probert

Man of the match: Agbonlahor

Match rating: 7/10