Ollie Watkins sinks Bournemouth as 10-man Aston Villa boost top-five hopes

It was a fraught episode that could yet determine Aston Villa’s season. In the final minute of stoppage time, the big screens showed 94 minutes and 13 seconds when Emiliano Martínez made a magnificent save to thwart Antoine Semenyo and Matty Cash ended up crashing into the Villa net to successfully spook the Bournemouth substitute Daniel Jebbison, who headed over from a couple of yards out. Amadou Onana instantly rushed to Cash, grabbing his cheeks by way of congratulations.

While Martínez embarked on a round of high-fives with his defenders and clenched both fists overhead as if parading a trophy, Cash was still in a heap, clinging to the polypropylene Villa net after the pair combined to eke out a priceless victory in their push to qualify again for the Champions League. The Villa full-back seemed as perplexed as anyone as to how Jebbison contrived to miss.

Continue reading...