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Match Analysis: Cardiff City 0-0 Aston Villa

Sports Mole analyses the Premier League clash between Cardiff City and Aston Villa.

Cardiff City have recorded a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, but they have goalkeeper David Marshall to thank after he pulled off a remarkable last-minute save.

The home side twice hit the woodwork during a low-key first half, but it was Villa who dominated the second half without creating many clear opportunities.

However, Andreas Weimann thought he had won it for the visitors with seconds to spare with his shot heading for the top corner, only for Marshall to pull off arguably the save of the season with a finger-tip stop to prevent the ball finding the top corner.

Below, Sports Mole assesses whether a draw was a fair result at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Match statistics

Cardiff City
Shots: 12
On target: 3
Possession: 46%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 5

Aston Villa
Shots: 18
On target: 6
Possession: 54%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 9

Was the result fair?
On reflection, this was a fair result, but for all of their second-half pressure, Villa will feel aggrieved not to have earned the three points. Cardiff struck the woodwork twice in the first half, but apart from the odd chance for their front pairing, they did very little. As for Villa, they always looked threatening on the break, and they would have won this game if it wasn't for Marshall's wonder save in the final seconds.

Cardiff City's performance
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won't be too disappointed with the way that his side played on Tuesday evening, but he would have expected them to kick on from their encouraging start. Fraizer Campbell and Kenwyne Jones look lively as a front pair, and Ben Turner was superb in defence, but they will need a bit more in midfield if they are going to remain in the Premier League for another season.

Aston Villa's performance
If Villa were languishing in the bottom three, Paul Lambert would be angered at his side's lack of conviction inside the penalty area, but this should be seen as another point towards securing their Premier League safety. No-one stood out for the visitors, but on the whole, it was a solid performance collectively. However, it will probably take Lambert a couple of days for that save from David Marshall to sink in.

Sports Mole's man of the match

David Marshall: When the match reached the 90-minute mark, Cardiff's Ben Turner had his award wrapped up, but it has to go to David Marshall. He didn't have too much to do during the match, but his one-handed stop from point-blank range has secured his side a point, and while it doesn't hold much significance at the moment, it could by the time we reach May.

Biggest gaffe
Gabriel Agbonlahor will probably get an earful from his manager after wasting a chance inside the penalty area with eight minutes remaining. All that was required was a simple finish either side of Marshall, but the attacker wasted too much time and was dispossessed.

Referee performance
Chris Foy had very little to do during a match that created no controversy. He didn't have the need to hand a yellow card to either side, which is a rare occurrence in the Premier League. He could have given Cardiff a penalty during the first half, but aside from that, this was an accomplished performance.

What next?

Cardiff City: Cardiff host Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup on Saturday, before they face a huge fixture with Hull City in the Premier League a week later.

Aston Villa: Villa must wait 12 days before returning to action when they travel to Newcastle United.

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Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prior to kick-off against Swansea during their Premier League match on February 8, 2014
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Live Commentary: Cardiff 0-0 Aston Villa - as it happened
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