Tim Sherwood's first Premier League game as Aston Villa manager ended in defeat as his side were beaten 2-1 by Stoke City this afternoon.
Scott Sinclair gave Villa the lead in the 20th minute when he headed in from Fabian Delph's cross, but Mame Biram Diouf nodded in to level the scores at the end of the first half.
Stoke were then awarded a spot kick in stoppage time when Ron Vlaar brought down Victor Moses inside the box and was sent off for a second bookable offence.
Moses calmly slotted home the resulting penalty to snatch the points and give Stoke their first victory in four games.
Here, Sports Mole analyses whether the result was reflective of the action.
Match Statistics:
ASTON VILLA:
Shots 3
On Target 2
Possession 52%
Corners 11
Fouls 11
STOKE CITY:
Shots 11
On Target 6
Possession 48%
Corners 3
Fouls 14
Was the result fair?
It is hard to argue that either side deserved to win today's match. It was a stop-start affair with very little quality throughout the 90 minutes. Villa made an encouraging start, but they failed to build on their lead and Stoke hit back before half time. The second half continued to be littered by mistakes, but a poor challenge from Vlaar gave Stoke the chance to claim the points and Moses obliged with a very calmly-taken penalty. A draw would probably have been the fairest result, but every mistake is cruelly punished in this league.
Aston Villa's performance
Villa saw plenty of the ball in the early stages, but they barely posed a threat until Sinclair headed in their opener. However, they failed to build upon their lead and some slack defending allowed Diouf to level right at the end of the half. Had they held on going into the break, things could have been very different as they looked sluggish following the restart. It seemed as if they would finish the day with a point and end their losing run, but they were undone by Moses's late penalty. Sherwood certainly has a tough job on his hands now to keep Villa in the Premier League, and today's defeat has seen them drop to 19th in the table.
Stoke City's performance
Stoke were far from their best, but Mark Hughes will be glad that his team were able to respond after last week's disappointing FA cup defeat to Blackburn Rovers. They made a slow start, but reacted well to going behind and they were deservedly level before the break. In the second half, a volley from Jonathan Walters looked to be their only meaningful chance, until their stoppage-time penalty. It was brilliantly converted by Moses and it should give them the push needed to end the season strongly and finish in the top half.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Victor Moses: There were not many standout players this afternoon, but Moses just about wins this award thanks to his late winner. He showed great composure under a huge amount of pressure to score from the spot and it was just what his side needed after their poor recent run.
Biggest gaffe
Vlaar is probably Villa's best defender, but his poor tackle in stoppage time gave away a penalty and earned him a red card. He was also at fault for the opening goal, as he allowed Diouf a free run to head in the equaliser.
Referee's performance
Roger East was very nearly substituted in the second half after picking up a knock, but he recovered and was on hand to give Stoke their penalty at the death. It was the correct decision and he was also right in handing out two yellow cards to Vlaar.
What next?
Aston Villa: The Villans will return to action with a trip to Newcastle United next Saturday.
Stoke City: Stoke are also playing next Saturday when they entertain Hull City.
Alex Meyers
