Tie is not beyond us, says Gregory

Aston Villa travel to Croatia looking to make amends for a 3-2 home defeat by Varteks Varazdin in tonight's Uefa Cup first round second leg meeting with goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel and manager John Gregory leading the rallying calls.

"We're not proud of the result in the first game but it is a two-legged tie and now we have to take the return to Varteks," Schmeichel said. "The outcome of the first game has decided that."

Gregory also believes the second leg is not a lost cause but is adamant that the Premiership – and securing a Champions' League place via a top-four finish – remains his priority. "Last Thursday was a bad result," Gregory said. "I felt the side I put out was one that could have gone on and won the game. We never defended particularly well after never looking like conceding a goal all season.

Gregory admitted that the first goal in tonight's match will be crucial to Villa's chances of grabbing a lifeline from the tie. He said: "Without any question whoever scores first will have a big advantage.

"The first goal could dictate the course of events for the rest of the night. If we can score it, then Varteks will be on the back foot and they could get edgy. But if they are the first to hit the target then it might deal us the kind of psychological blow from which there will be no coming back."

Gregory will be without the England Under-21 striker Darius Vassell, with a knee injury, and his captain Paul Merson, with a calf injury, and is likely to keep the side that won 3-1 against Southampton.