Agbonlahor snatches win for Villa

Gabriel Agbonlahor
12 April 2012

Gabriel Agbonlahor propelled Aston Villa towards Barclays Premier League safety and edged West Ham closer to relegation with the injury-time winner in a 2-1 victory at Upton Park.

The Hammers had taken the lead inside two minutes with a strike from Robbie Keane but Villa wrestled back control with Darren Bent's header shortly before the interval.

West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green pulled off a string of top-class saved to keep his side in the game but Villa snatched a deserved victory with a header from substitute Agbonlahor in added time.

Villa's victory moved them up to ninth in the table on 40 points, seven clear of the drop zone, while Avram Grant's struggling side are two points from safety.

The Hammers' next two games are away at Chelsea and Manchester City.

West Ham had promised a "traditional street party atmosphere" and the home faithful were waving their claret and blue pennants inside two minutes after Keane opened the scoring.

Gary O'Neil's blocked shot fell to Thomas Hitzlsperger, who lofted a header towards Keane on the edge of the six-yard box and he turned to fire past Brad Friedel.

Villa thought they had equalised after 23 minutes with a Bent header but it was disallowed by referee Mark Halsey for a push on Lars Jacobsen.

The leveller did come, however, when Mark Noble was caught in possession inside the West Ham box and Villa pounced, Luke Young crossing for Bent to head home.

The visitors were only denied the lead by two magnificent saves in quick succession from Green in the West Ham goal, keeping out efforts from Bent and Ashley Young. But the winner came in the first minute of injury time, Ashley Young finding space down the right and picking out substitute Agbonlahor to head home the winner.

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