Christian Benteke's penalty in added time helped Aston Villa on their way to a vital 2-1 victory over rivals West Bromwich Albion in this evening's West Midlands derby.
The Villans were the better side throughout, and they deservedly took the lead courtesy of Gabriel Agbonlahor's well-taken strike with just short of a quarter of the match played.
West Brom hit back through Saido Berahino's close-range header, though, and it looked as if the spoils would be shared until Benteke converted from the spot at the death after Ben Foster felled an opponent inside the box.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look back at how the dramatic 90 minutes of action unfolded at Villa Park.
Match statistics
ASTON VILLA
Shots: 16
On target: 7
Possession: 57%
Corners: 0
Fouls: 15
WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Shots: 3
On target: 1
Possession: 43%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 13
Was the result fair?
There is no denying that the home side fully deserved all three points this evening, but the manner in which they obtained them will really hurt opposition boss Tony Pulis. Villa dominated things in the first half, seeing two shots saved off the line - the first of which required goal-line technology to decide the outcome - while Fabian Delph also struck the post with a shot from the edge of the box.
That was after Agbonolahor, the game's best player, had given his side a lead which they failed to hold on to. Having just about built up some momentum, the Baggies capitalised and drew level through Berahino's close-range header which came on the back of Joleon Lescott's first assist since way back in October 2011. If there was to be a late winner then it deserved to fall the Villans' way, and after some terrible goalkeeping by Foster, Benteke made no mistake to send three quarters of Villa Park wild.
Aston Villa's performance
Sherwood himself admitted in the build-up to this game that the pressure was maybe starting to get to him a little, despite his Villa reign being just two games old at that stage. The former Tottenham Hotspur boss targeted six wins from his side's final 11 games, and this derby encounter would have been earmarked as a must-win contest. That was clear to see in an opening 45 minutes dominated by the hosts, which concluded with them racking up six shots and countless chances.
Despite stepping off the gas somewhat following the restart, the initiative was still very much there until they cruelly found themselves on level terms 24 minutes from time. The Villans' poor goal count, which stood at a shocking 13 prior to this evening - nine lower than the Premier League's next worst side in this department - would have weighed them down massively coming into the game. However, Agbonlahor and Benteke bagged their first goals of the year to help Villa on their way to a maiden victory of 2015 at long last to claw out of the bottom three. More of this is needed in the coming weeks if they are to push on and climb up the table.
West Bromwich Albion's performance
While the Baggies struggled to get out of first gear in the first half and for much of the second, it is a credit to them that they still came within seconds of taking a point on their travels. Pulis has turned this outfit into one of the toughest sides to beat in the division since taking over at the start of the year, with four away draws on the bounce seeing the West Midlands club climb eight points from danger.
However, having conceded their first goal in some 440 minutes, the Baggies then threw away a point at the death when Foster rushed out and brought down Matt Lowton inside the area. The England international was poor all evening, making a number of questionable decisions in the first half in particular, and it was his howler that cost his side in the end. Playing with two unfit strikers in Berahino and Brown Ideye certainly did not help the Baggies' cause, and they now have to pick themselves up ahead of the short journey back to Villa Park at the weekend for a huge FA Cup quarter-final tie.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Gabriel Agbonlahor: He was withdrawn inside the final 10 minutes with a few audible boos from Villa supporters. That may be down to the man who came on in his place, Andreas Weimann, who has hardly set the world alight this term. Agbonlahor's all-round performance was fantastic this evening, with a number of energetic runs seeing him rewarded with a first goal in 14 outings in the first half. He also had an effort saved off the line and perhaps should have won a penalty, although in the end it mattered little with Sherwood's men claiming all three points.
Biggest gaffe
Look no further than Foster, but the real question is which of his howlers to choose from? Caught out in the early stages when Agbonlahor's weak shot squirmed through his arms, the Englishman just about managed to hook the ball off the line, yet there was more bad keeping to come. Another shot found its way under his body for the opening goal, while he was caught out when Villa's goalscorer raced through shortly after only to be let off by referee Jonathan Moss when he brought down the forward. The bad night was capped by that horrendous decision made at the end, which can only be explained as a rush of blood to the head when he raced through a sea of bodies to bring down Lowton.
Referee performance
Moss and his officials got the most contentious decision of the night correct when they adjudged Agbonlahor to be onside for the opener, while the other key call could have gone either way. Foster definitely touched the pacey forward when he raced through for a second time, but because he got a shot away it would have been harsh to then pull play back and award a penalty. The final decision made, pointing to the spot in the third minute of added time for what proved to be the winning strike, was also the correct call.
What next?
Aston Villa: Following their cup meeting against Albion, the Lions will continue their push for survival in another huge meeting, this time away at fellow strugglers Sunderland.
West Bromwich Albion: West Brom still need a few more points on the board before they can be sure of safety, and they will look to take a huge step towards another season of top-flight football when they take on Stoke City next time out.
Daniel Lewis
