So much for the great escape. While a pre-match snatch of music from the war film of that name seemed to remind Coventry City of what their life had mostly been about, they still finished hanging on the old barbed wire.

There were moments when the patches of blue sky above Villa Park mirrored the Sky Blue optimism down below. But for Gordon Strachan's team the day quickly clouded over, and the mortal blow to Coventry's 34year-old status as a top-league club was delivered by an Angel of Colombia, rather than of the merciful kind. The goal scored by Juan Pablo Angel to level the contest at 2-2 nine minutes from time was his first for Aston Villa since John Gregory bought him from River Plate in January for £9.5 million sterling. More pertinently, it virtually ended the hope reawakened in Coventry's soul once Moustapha Hadji had scored twice in eight minutes during the opening half-hour.

Paul Merson's beautifully struck winner in the 86th minute, while it ended Villa's last home match on the sort of high note for which their followers have pined for much of the season, was irrelevant so far as Coventry were concerned.

They had needed to win and for results elsewhere to favour them to go into their final Premiership fixture, at home to relegated Bradford City, still with a chance of staying up. On Friday nights, Strachan watches Frasier, the psychocomedy show. This would explain why, after the game, the Coventry manager appeared to be in a state of denial. He was prepared to talk only about the disappointment of losing the match. About the wider consequence of the result he had nothing to say. This was Mrs Lincoln intent on discussing the shortcomings of the second act. For a time on Saturday it was possible to believe that Coventry were in a false position, so confident and positive was their football. Yet this had to be set against the fact that for the best part of an hour Aston Villa were comically bad, a team of strangers bent on being second to every ball when they were not giving it away. The loose pass from Gareth Barry which led to Coventry taking the lead typified Villa's end-of-season ennui. John Eustace gained possession and gave Paul Telfer the opportunity to provide the centre from which Hadji headed past David James.

Then Hadji gathered a clearance from Paul Williams and outpaced Mark Delaney to increase Coventry's lead with a rising, rousing drive. When Gregory introduced David Ginola, Aston Villa's football made considerably more sense and Paul Merson became an increasing influence. But had Williams and Chris Kirkland not made such a mess of dealing with an innocuous low cross from Delaney, allowing Darius Vassell to score a simple goal in the 61st minute, Coventry might have won. As it was, the goal drained the confidence from Strachan's side and now the earlier loss of Telfer with an ankle injury began to be felt. Angel's equaliser was volleyed in after a centre from Gareth Southgate had brushed the head of Barry Quinn, and Merson's winner followed a free-kick from Ginola half-cleared by Williams.

ASTON VILLA: James, Delaney, Wright, Southgate, Barry, Boateng (Hendrie 46), Taylor, Merson, Staunton (Ginola 40), Dublin, Vassell (Angel 63). Subs Not Used: Stone, Enckelman. Booked: Angel. Goals: Vassell 61, Angel 81, Merson 86.

COVENTRY: Kirkland, Williams, Breen, Quinn, Telfer (Edworthy 37), Eustace, Carsley, Hadji, Hall (Zuniga 87), Bellamy, Hartson. Subs Not Used: Hedman, Strachan, Bothroyd. Booked: Eustace, Hall, Hartson, Carsley, Bellamy. Goals: Hadji 18, 26.

Referee: M Riley (Leeds).