Rocky Villa get points against Wigan
Ashley Young - Scores winner for Villa
An uncomfortable Aston Villa managed to get all three points against struggling Wigan to take them six points clear of the relegation zone, but although this was Villa’s second win on-the-trot following their victory over Man City on Saturday, they still leak goals with a fragile looking defence.
Villa went ahead four minutes after the break when Gabriel Agbonlahor nodded home at close range following an Ashley Young corner. Young then doubled Villa’s advantage from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Hendry Thomas. James McCarthy drove home a deflected late effort, but Villa held firm.
Nonetheless, it was a nervous finale for Villa, who looked increasingly ill at ease as Franco Di Santo, Hugo Rodallega and substitute Ben Watson went close for the hosts. Buoyed by Saturday’s 1-0 victory against Manchester City, in which Darren Bent’s winning goal hinted that the £24m it took to prise him from Sunderland may prove money well spent, Villa again showed clear signs of improvement.
Yet their inability to keep a clean sheet, combined with a failure to translate a dominant first-half phase into tangible reward, suggests the claret-and-blue revival retains a certain fragility. Villa manager Gerard Houllier will not, in all probability, be losing much sleep over that tonight. The Frenchman need only consider Wigan’s plight to realise life could be worse.
Roberto Martinez’s side remain entrenched in the bottom three, third from bottom, and the home fans were quick to vent their anger at him come the final whistle.
