EUROPA LEAGUE PLAYOFF - Aston Villa 2 Rapid Vienna 3 (Rapid Vienna win 3-4 on aggregate):"YOUR NIGHTMARE returns" proclaimed the banner held aloft by the Rapid Vienna supporters beforehand and so it proved as Aston Villa were knocked out of Europe by the Austrian side for the second successive season on a night of crushing disappointment.
The match was within their grasp when Emile Heskey put them 2-1 up on the night but, just like last year, Villa pressed the self-destruct button and allowed Rapid back into the game.
Two goals in the space of three minutes, from Mario Sonnleitner and the substitute Rene Gartler, left Villa reeling as Randy Lerner, the Villa chairman, looked on with the expression of a worried man.
Kevin MacDonald would be the club’s ideal choice to succeed Martin O’Neill but this latest setbacksuggests the job might be one step too far for the reserve-team manager.
An early goal was needed to calm Villa nerves and Agbonlahor duly provided it as the striker marked his first appearance of the season with a poacher’s strike midway through the opening half.
If the breakthrough was welcome, the sight of Agbonlahor heading down the tunnel less than 20 minutes later was anything but as he limped out of the action.
By that point Villa were in control, although their lead remained slender despite numerous chances. James Collins, who was also playing his first football of the campaign, came close to scoring twice in the space of two minutes.
The central defender was unfortunate that his deft touch at the near post was blocked by Markus Katzer, but the header from the edge of the six-yard box moments earlier should have been buried.
The combination of Sunday’s crushing defeat at Newcastle and the imperative of getting through to the next phase of this competition prompted McDonald to select a side replete with experience, even allowing for the absence of Richard Dunne, Stephen Warnock, Stewart Downing, John Carew and Luke Young.
Ashley Young was once again given the licence to roam at the tip of a midfield diamond and it was no surprise that the England international created the goal. Stilian Petrov’s fine pass picked him out on the right flank, and a low cross was speared across the six-yard box, imploring Agbonlahor to convert. The striker made no mistake, ramming the ball beyond Raimund Hedl with his left boot.
Rapid rarely troubled Brad Guzan in the first half but that all changed seven minutes after the restart when Villa conceded the softest of equalisers. Habib Beye was the chief culprit, dwelling on the ball and inviting Veli Kavlak to pick his pocket. Kevlak promptly skipped past Beye before delivering a fine centre that Atdhe Nuhiu emphatically headed home.
The complexion of the game suddenly changed as Villa lost their rhythm and Rapid gained in confidence. Villa’s cause was hardly helped when the Dutch referee, Eric Braamhaar, inexplicably denied Villa what appeared to be a stone-wall penalty in the 69th minute. Young was bearing down on the Rapid goal when Katzer cut across him, bundling the forward to the ground.
Three minutes later Braamhaar did point to the spot, after Sonnleitner dragged down Heskey. Petrov’s kick was saved, however, and Heskey somehow turned the rebound over.
The forward atoned for that miss moments later when he deflected in Beye’s left-footed volley but the home celebrations were ephemeral.
Sonnleitner made the most of the freedom he was afforded in the Villa area two minutes later as he headed home and Gartler added insult to injury with a third nine minutes from time.
ASTON VILLA:Guzan, Davies, Beye, Cuellar, Collins, Reo-Coker (Delfouneso, 82), Petrov, A Young, Ireland, Agbonlahor (Albrighton, 40), Heskey. Booked: Collins 85, A Young 90.
RAPID VIENNA:Hedl, Sonnleitner, Heikkinen, Hofmann, Katzer, Nuhiu, Kavlak, Saurer (Trimmel, 73), Soma, Dober, Pehlivan (Gartler, 78). Booked: Sonnleitner 71, Dober 83.
Referee:E Braamhaar (Neth)
