GOING INTO 2009 in the top four of the Premier League is one thing for Aston Villa, but they are going to have to be a lot more inventive than this to stay there.
Hull City went back to basics last night, and for 88 minutes their pressing, disciplined and cautious performance stifled the creativity out of Martin O'Neill's side. Not the patience however; with two minutes remaining, Ashley Young's cross was turned past his own goalkeeper by City centre-half Kamil Zayatte to hand the visitors a victory they hardly deserved.
Villa came into this match undefeated in seven domestic matches, a run which meant their chances of breaking up the usual cartel of the Premier League's Champions League qualifiers were being taken increasingly seriously.
While O'Neill named an unchanged team, you would have got very long odds on his opposite number, Phil Brown, doing the same. Two weeks ago, after victory over Middlesbrough at home and a creditable draw at Anfield, the Hull chairman Paul Duffen said the club's target for the season had been readjusted from survival to winning a place in next season's Uefa Cup. I
It was asking for it, rather, but few would have predicted that the Tigers would concede nine goals in two games against what were at the time bottom three sides. The scale of those defeats suggested Hull, having won just once in 10 matches, might be a team in accelerating decline.
Brown, who maintained beforehand it was more a case of players abandoning the principles that had made them the most successful of the sides promoted from the championship, identified the culprits by dropping George Boateng, Dean Marney, Geovanni, Marlon King and Dean Windass.
Coming on the back of the public wigging he gave his players at the City of Manchester Stadium, such wholesale changes cannot have done much for the atmosphere in the dressing room, but it did not do any harm to the atmosphere in the stadium.
Despite, or perhaps because of, the cold, the ground was a cacophony of noise, and the decibels increased after four minutes when Nick Barmby, having challenged Brad Friedel for a hopeful punt into the box, bundled the ball home with the Villa goalkeeper on the floor. Friedel got the decision, as goalkeepers always seem to, but the contact had hardly been heavy.
That incident aside, the most remarkable aspect of the opening stages was the contrast in styles it offered.
With five men across midfield, Hull were reducing the threat offered by James Milner and Ashley Young down the flanks, but the system left Daniel Cousin isolated up front.
Villa, handed the lion's share of possession, were content to be patient, probing for the breakthrough without obvious urgency.
Bernard Mendy was the man deputed by Brown to break in occasional support of Cousin, and Mendy's pace almost bore fruit when Peter Halmosi nearly got on the end of his low cross.
It was indicative of the caution being shown by both sides that the nearest the first half came to yielding a goal came when Curtis Davies, running back towards his own goal, headed Ian Ashbee's chipped through ball a foot or so wide of Friedel's right-hand post.
Villa's lack of penetration must have meant that Brown was the happier of the managers at half -time - his players were allowed to spend the break in the warmth of their dressing room, anyway - and he must have been equally reassured when the second period began in much the same way.
If anything, Hull's pressing looked the more likely to create an opportunity, and nearly did so on the hour when only a fine late tackle from Luke Young prevented Halmosi getting in a shot.
Encouraged, City's defenders began to venture over the half-way line, and Michael Turner, scorer of three goals this season, sliced a drive well wide.
But Brown was still inclined to caution, sending on King, but taking off Cousin to leave the system unaltered. It was hard to blame him as Villa continued to disappoint going forward.
Hull's pressure grew. Barmby, unmarked, should have done better than head Mendy's hanging cross straight at Davies, and the Frenchman continued to look the game's most dangerous player.
Aston Villa survived a late scare when Ashley Young jumped on the goal line with his hands raised. The ball had actually clipped the top of the bar and the visitors were relieved when referee Steve Bennett consulted his assistant, changed his original decision to give a penalty and instead awarded a kick-out to the visitors.
Guardian Service
HULL CITY:Myhill, McShane, Turner, Zayatte, Ricketts, Mendy, Garcia (Fagan 89), Ashbee, Halmosi, Barmby (Hughes 85), Cousin (King 69). Subs Not Used: Duke, Doyle, Geovanni, Giannakopoulos. Booked: Zayatte.
ASTON VILLA:Friedel, Reo-Coker, Knight, Davies, Luke Young, Milner, Sidwell (Gardner 86), Petrov, Barry, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor. Subs Not Used: Guzan, Harewood, Delfouneso, Salifou, Shorey, Osbourne. Booked: Barry, Petrov.
Referee:Steve Bennett (Kent).
