Darren Bent came off the bench to rescue a point for Aston Villa from their derby encounter at home to West Bromwich Albion this afternoon.
It looked as the visiting Baggies would leave Villa Park with all three points courtesy of Republic of Ireland international Shane Long until Bent struck.
Sports Mole has cast an eye over the 90 minutes to see if either side deserved to take maximum points.
Match statistics
Aston Villa
Shots: 3
On Target: 9
Possession: 57%
Corners: 10
Fouls: 8
West Brom
Shots: 3
On Target: 6
Possession: 43%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 11
Was the result fair?
Villa may feel they deserved all three points because of the way that they ended the match. Looking back over the 90 minutes though West Brom were extremely competitive. Defeat would have been harsh on them, whereas a draw is without question fair.
Aston Villa's Performance
The hosts improved greatly following the introductions of Bent and Charles N'Zogbia. Up until that point, they almost looked to be out of ideas. However, Bent showed why he is regarded as one of the best strikers in the country with a deserved equaliser.
West Brom's Performance
Manager Steve Clarke will probably look back on this match as a good point for his side. They claimed a well-worked goal and defended extremely well. Villa knocked on the door on the closing stages but the Baggies rearguard kept it firmly shut. In the end they deserved a share of the spoils.
Referee's Performance
Anthony Taylor gave the match every chance to flow. As a result, both teams had spells in possession and the game, particularly after the restart, flowed from end to end. More officials should take a leaf out of Taylor's book on this showing.
Sports Mole's man of the match
He often goes about his work quietly but there is no getting away from the performance that James Morrison put in. The midfielder is a real creative force for West Brom and he enhanced that point today. He rarely gave the ball away and even set up Long for the West Brom goal.
Biggest gaffe
Christian Benteke looks the sort of striker that will frustrate you one week, then do something fantastic the next. Today was one of his poorer days, culminating in him firing way over the crossbar in the first half when he really should have scored.
What's next?
Aston Villa: A tough-looking trip on paper to Tottenham Hotspur awaits Villa next weekend.
West Brom: The Baggies returned to the Hawthorns next Saturday when struggling Queens Park Rangers will be the visitors.
Liam Apicella
