Aston Villa 2 West Brom 1: Sunday Mercury Big Match Verdict

Dec 12 2010 by Mat Kendrick, Sunday Mercury

EMILE Heskey helped under-pressure Gerard Houllier right the wrongs of the past week – as Aston Villa stopped West Brom re-writing derby history in a cracking encounter at Villa Park.

Heskey’s header on the born-again battering ram’s return from injury was the decisive goal as the claret and blues extended the Baggies’ 31-year search for a league victory on enemy territory.

After four successive defeats, including a Carling Cup knockout at Birmingham, it took Stewart Downing’s 25th-minute opener to settle the understandable nerves among the home crowd.

When Heskey nodded in the all-important second on 80 minutes it banished much of the negativity following the fallout from Houllier’s lingering Liverpool love affair – for now at least.

But Paul Scharner set up a thrilling finale by halving Villa’s lead with a 90th-minute header and the hosts had to hold on to move to within two points of Albion in the Premier League table.