Stern lesson for Villa

Aston Villa 2 Birmingham City 2The Holte End spluttered in pained disbelief, but choking in the seething second city derby is rapidly becoming a common theme to undermine those in claret and blue.

Aston Villa awake today deflated and with the joyous taunts of Birmingham City's fans still ringing in their ears. Nothing has separated these two sides in their meetings this term, though Stern John's equaliser deep into stoppage time here leaves the impression that Villa's traumas against their bitter rivals have spilled into a second season.

The 100th league spat between these sides should have been settled long before its frantic finale. The hopeful whistles had been shrill for over four minutes when Darren Purse punted into the Villa half, the excellent Mikael Forssell leapt above Dion Dublin to flick on and Clinton Morrison spun to spit a close-range shot at goal. Thomas Sorensen did well to palm that out, only for John to ram the loose ball into the roof of the net.

For an hour here Villa battered the Blues, establishing a two-goal advantage to deflect attention from their prodigious profligacy.

Darius Vassell was the worst culprit, even if he plundered early. A cross from Nolberto Solano on the right flank bypassed the clutter in the middle. Damien Johnson should have cleared but he was robbed by Gareth Barry, who squared for Vassell to side-foot into the gaping net.

Two minutes from the restart a cross from the England striker deflected from Purse to the edge of the area, where Thomas Hitzlsperger battered across Taylor and into the corner.

Robbie Savage, an infuriating presence who is yet to taste defeat against these opponents in 16 matches for Leicester or Birmingham, provided a spark on the hour with a slide-rule pass laid off by Morrison for Forssell to steer the goal he deserved beyond a static Sorensen and into the corner.