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Villans Worldwide - Aston Villa Supporters Club

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Sep 09th
Home arrow News Topics arrow Match Reports arrow A Christmas Pilgrimage to see St James
A Christmas Pilgrimage to see St James PDF Print E-mail
Written by John Tebbet   
Sunday, 06 December 2009

This was my pre Xmas pilgrimage to Villa Park, the Saturday I joined the 39,000 faithful who came to be festive, to celebrate the joys of the season, and to visit the patron saint of all pilgrims, St James....

 

And outside the ground there were real reindeers and a huge Santa, and a massive BRMB stage blasting out live happy music. “Everybody in love, go put your hands up….” sang JLS, and the reindeers loved it, their claret and blue antlers twitching to the beat. And so did the 39,000 fans throughout the game, putting their hands up to worship the brilliance of St James Milner, as he orchestrated a vibrant display of attacking flair. He brought wonderful gifts to all around him, making assist after assist, and he scored a golden goal too. This was good pre Xmas stuffing alright, and it could have been six instead of three, but we were happy, so happy to see this born again central midfield hero; and James Milner may well achieve sainthood if he carries on like this.

But it wasn’t JLS that started the reindeers twitching. It was the Villa loudspeakers, announcing the team line up before the match that first got them excited. Martin was keeping faith with the side that demolished Pompey, and that new look midfield with Young and Downing on the wings and Petrov and Milner in the centre. I was excited too as I sat munching my cheese cob outside a jam packed Villa shop; was this to be another Bolton? It was time to leave the carol singers in the car park as they crooned Silent Night and join the noisy throngs in the cauldron ready to witness a slaughter. Enter Saint James!

I’m not sure I’ve seen Villa start a match so well. Within seconds Luke Young was through on goal and only narrowly missed. Then Emile almost scored - once more, on the back of the Pompey game, he was playing well - I think he knows I’ve forgiven him. Downing looked sharp, Petrov was commanding, and the midfield was ours - with Milner in brilliant form. He is the missing link, the guy to split defences, the new Villa Gerrard - just ask Richard Dunne, who blasted a sublime ball from the Saint high into the net for our first goal. But the piece de resistance was still to come. Quick throw in, Duke off his line, and a wonderful saintly lob over defenders into an empty net. Memories of Deano’s goal against Liverpool came flooding back. Sublime, yes sublime. I had to text the world about that one - wakey wakey Frank and Dave!

Game over after that, though Hull did battle bravely in the second half until Big John came marching on to put us 3 - 0 in front. Yes, we should have had six, and yes the second half didn’t match the delightful play of the first - but let’s just be thankful for three. Three decisive goals from three superb players, with the sweetest of near misses from Stewart Downing that was almost the cherry on this particular Xmas cake. But the real Lion heart of this new look Villa side, the Saint who slayed the Tigers, was our new central midfield general. Sing it loud JLS: everybody’s in love…with our very own James Milner!

Player ratings
Friedel 7, Luke Young 7, Cuellar 7, Dunne 8, Warnock 7, Milner 10, Petrov 8, Downing 7, Ashley Young 6, Gabby 6, Heskey 6, (Carew 7)
 
Last Updated ( Thursday, 17 December 2009 )
 
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