Aston Villa vs Derby: Villains survive nervy finale to edge Derby in Championship play-off final and clinch promotion to Premier League
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Your support makes all the difference.Follow live action from the Championship play-off final at Wembley as Aston Villa and Derby chase a golden opportunity to achieve promotion to the Premier League.
After a tense start, Anwar El Ghazi gave Villa the lead with a diving header on the stroke of half-time, courtesy of a fine cross from Ahemd Elmohamady. John McGinn then doubled Dean Smith’s side’s lead, outleaping Derby keeper Kelle Roos to put Villa firmly on course for victory.
But Martyn Waghorn sparked a Rams’ fightback, diverting Jack Marriot’s shot into the bottom corner with just under ten minutes to play. Yet despite a nerve-riddled finale, Villa held on to clinch promotion to the Premier League.
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Aston Villa 0-0 Derby
27: El Ghazi has been tracking back well throughout the game but was just caught out by Bogle's smart turn and picks up the first yellow card.
Wilson stands over the resulting wide free-kick and can only clear the entire assembled population, firing the ball out of play. What a waste.
Aston Villa 0-0 Derby
Abraham, who has scored exclusively inside the penalty area, had had just four touches during the first 30 minutes. And, you guessed it, none of them were in Derby's area. That, folks, about sums up how this has gone so far.
Aston Villa 0-0 Derby
33: He finally has his first touch in the box and it's an effort Abraham's fired just over. After getting the ball to his feet, he is allowed to turn inside the area and just missed the target.
Aston Villa 0-0 Derby
36: Derby finally register the first shot on target in the match!! Get the bunting out!
Mount gets himself into a good position just outside the penalty area but can't do better than slamming the ball straight at Steer.
Aston Villa 0-0 Derby
41: Things, you feel, are starting to look up for the neutral as Grealish and El Ghazi begin to get more involved while the Derby forwards are starting to link-up a little bit better.
Among the excitement, Keough heads over from a corner. A half, or quarter,- chance if you will.
Aston Villa 0-0 Derby
Recent history suggests we could be in for a slow game.
Aston Villa 1-0 Derby
El Ghazi gives Villa the lead!
Just as we were ruling out any chance of a goal El Ghazi pops up with a goal to open the scoring.
El Mohamady curls a sinking cross from the right towards the back post and the Villa winger shows more determination than Bogle and heads beyond Roos.
Game on!
Aston Villa 1-0 Derby
Aston Villa were arguably the much better side in that first half and maybe deserved to be in front at the break. It was not 45 minutes of red-hot quality from either side but El Ghazi's header is the difference at the break.
Lampard has probably the biggest team talk of his short managerial career to give here. Derby were disorganised at the back and uninspiring in the final third, a far way from where they need to be.
The exact moment that Bogle knew he was not going to get away with not tracking his man.
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