Gabriel Agbonlahor lifted the gloom at
Aston Villa and piled the pressure on
Sunderland with a second-half winner
in a 1-0 success at the Stadium of Light.
The forward's well-taken volley just
before the hour mark was enough to
settle a forgettable skirmish between
two of the Premier League's lowest-
scoring sides and give Paul Lambert
just a second league win since his
summer appointment.
Victory took Villa level on points with
their hosts, whose supporters have
had just three home goals to cheer
since August.
Two of those came from Steven
Fletcher and the Scotland striker was
denied a sixth of the season by a
correct - if marginal - offside call as he
clipped Stephane Sessegnon's pass
over Brad Guzan.
Adam Johnson was the home side's
likeliest source of opportunities, the
winger teeing up Sessegnon for a
blocked shot and Lee Cattermole for a
curler feathered a foot past the angle
of post and crossbar.
But clear chances were hard to come
by at either end before the break,
Simon Mignolet's only involvement a
routine stop from Andreas Weimann's
20-yarder.
That changed after half-time, Guzan's
misjudgement going unpunished as
Seb Larsson failed to control a header
from Phil Bardsley's cross.
And the goal came in similar
circumstances at the other end,
Christian Benteke heading down Matt
Lowton's floated centre for Agbonlahor
to finish ahead of Carlos Cuellar.
Martin O'Neill sent on Louis Saha,
whose flicked header cleared the bar,
and home penalty appeals were given
short shrift after John O'Shea's effort
struck Benteke's arm.
Villa might have added a second on
the break but for Weimann's weak
finish, and Sunderland's last chance to
grab a draw went wide of the post with
Fraizer Campbell's injury-time header.
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