Aston Villa secured their passage to the FA Cup fourth round after winning their first match in the competition for eight years, beating Middlesbrough 1-0 at the Riverside Stadium.
As the two sides looked to be heading for a replay, Matty Cash broke the deadlock late on as his strike from outside the box deflected past Tom Glover. Ezri Konsa had come the closest to opening the scoring in the second half as his header came back off the post, before Moussa Diaby fluffed his lines from close range late on.
Villa totally controlled the first half with 67 per cent possession, but the game opened up in the second period. Despite the uncertainty around his future with Villa, for the first time since the club’s 1-1 draw with Zrinjski Mostar last month, but struggled to get in the game and was replaced with 20 minutes to play.
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Ollie Watkins replaced him, while Douglas Luiz, Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo were all called on to get the goal to secure Villa’s passage to the next round, but it was right-back Cash who came up with the crucial goal, his first fourth of the season in all competitions.
The draw for the FA Cup fourth round will take place on Monday, January 8 before the third-round tie between Wigan Athletic and Manchester United, which is being televised by ITV. The 16 fourth-round games will be scheduled across the weekend of Saturday, January 27.
Player ratings
Emi Martinez
He wouldn’t have started the game if Robin Olsen was fit to play, but the Sweden international is still nursing an injury. Martinez made one save in the first half. 7
Matty Cash
Returned to the starting XI after missing Villa’s previous two games through suspension and illness. Had a solid game and made a few strong recoveries. Came up with the winner in the 87th minute as his strike from outside the box deflected past Glover. 8
Ezri Konsa
Strolled through the first half and dealt with Josh Coburn’s threat with consummate ease. Emmanuel Latte Lath caused a few more problems on the break towards the back end of the game. 7
Clement Lenglet
Made a couple of needless fouls when Villa pressed high, but played well overall. That was Lenglet’s fourth start in a row in all competitions. 7
Alex Moreno
Looked sharp going forward and combined with Jacob Ramsey well. He’ll get an extended run in the side given Lucas Digne’s injury and Emery knows what he can do after his impressive performances last season. 7
Leander Dendoncker
Slotted back into the starting XI to play alongside Kamara. Wasn’t progressive enough in possession to link defence and attack. 6
Boubacar Kamara
Returned from a three-match suspension to start against Boro tonight. He won so many duels and did the dirty work in midfield. A player Villa had certainly missed in their previous three games. 8
John McGinn
Operated in an advanced midfield role and came close to breaking the deadlock in the second half when he called Glover into action with an effort from outside the box. 6
Jacob Ramsey
Looked confident out there tonight. He has taken a little while to get back up to speed after suffering a setback in his recovery from injury earlier this year, but is showing signs he is rediscovering his form. 7
Leon Bailey
Drifted wide when Villa were in possession as he was frustrated not to receive the ball more often than he did. 6
Jhon Duran
The striker’s future is uncertain this month, but he was given a start by Emery. He took two shots at goal to call Glover into action, but never looked like scoring. Replaced on the 70th minute. 5
SUBS
Nicolo Zaniolo (for Bailey, 69′): Made a decent impact in the game and came within inches of scoring a wonder goal late on. 7
Ollie Watkins (for Duran, 69): Didn’t get a sight of goal in the short amount of time he had on the pitch. 6
Moussa Diaby (for McGinn, 69′): Fluffed his lines when he should have buried a chance presented to him by Moreno. 5
Douglas Luiz (for Dendoncker, 69′): Helped keep Villa in control of the game as it was too end-to-end before his introduction. 6
Subs not used: Marschall, Proctor, Carlos, Iroegbunam.
GOALS
Middlesbrough: N/A
Aston Villa: Cash, 87′
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
