FA Cup: Middlesbrough 0 Aston Villa 1 - Report
A deflected Matty Cash strike three minutes from time earned Villa their first FA Cup win for eight years.
The full-back's effort from distance flew in off Emmanuel Lath to finally break Middlesbrough’s resistance at the Riverside Stadium.
Villa, who had lost eight straight ties in the competition since 2016, had earlier hit the post through Ezri Konsa.
But they looked like having to settle for a replay before Cash struck late to seal the third round tie in their favour.
Analysis
The winner was particularly harsh on Tom Glover, the Championship club’s goalkeeper, who twice denied Jhon Duran in the first half and then pulled off a brilliant save from John McGinn in the second.
Glover subsequently being named man-of-the-match summed up the pattern of an evening where Villa bossed proceedings but frequently lacked a cutting edge.
This was a performance which again posed questions about their ability to break down teams who sit deep but after enduring such misery in the Cup over recent seasons, the win was all that mattered.
Villa avoided the ignominy on becoming the first team in the top two divisions to lose eight consecutive FA Cup ties.
The last of those came 12 months ago when they were beaten by League Two Stevenage in just Unai Emery’s sixth match in charge.
A year on and with the club completely transformed, the head coach had stressed in the build-up the need for Villa to understand the prestige of the competition and the hint he would be taking it very seriously was confirmed in a line-up which featured only four changes from that which started the previous league match against Burnley.
Cash and Boubacar Kamara, who between them missed most or all of the festive programme through suspension and illness, were both back in the team as expected while Emery also handed starts to Leander Dendoncker and Duran.
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick had been enduring an injury crisis which at one point left 12 senior players sidelined. But despite speculation he might make large scale changes, with a Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea to come on Tuesday night, there were just two changes to the home line-up from the one beaten 3-1 by Coventry on New Year’s Day.
Duran had the first effort on goal of the match and it was a decent one, his low strike forcing Glover into a sharp save at his near post.
It was Glover’s only serious exertion of an opening half-hour in which Villa dominated possession without creating much in the way of chances.
His next scare came when Leander Dendoncker headed narrowly over when the visitors played a corner short, before Duran again tested his reflexes, picking up the ball in space and firing toward the bottom corner from 20 yards out.
But that was the final time Villa seriously threatened in the half. Instead, Boro created their first chance when Morgan Rogers brought a near post save from Emi Martinez, with Alex Bangura then flashing a cross just in front of Josh Coburn moments before the break.
Villa had done little with the five corners earned during the opening half but their first of the second nearly brought a breakthrough. Bailey played the ball short to Jacob Ramsey and when he picked out McGinn on the edge of the box, the skipper’s shot was tipped over by Glover at full stretch.
Set pieces were suddenly causing problems and from another Bailey corner, Konsa sent a glancing header against the far post. From the next, Alex Moreno volleyed horribly over when he should have at least hit the target.
Dendoncker tried his luck from nearly 30 yards out with a shot which bounced just in front of Glover but Villa no longer had full control and the hosts began to pose more of a threat.
Emery made four changes with Watkins, Luiz, Diaby and Zaniolo all coming off the bench, as he looked to find the elusive goal.
A Luiz free-kick almost saw Boro substitute Emmanuel Lath put through his own net but Diaby then fluffed his lines when missing his kick from 10 yards out. Zaniolo then curled an effort from outside the box just wide of the post.
In the end, Villa needed a helping hand. A corner was played short and Cash’s shot struck Lath and spun inside the near post, leaving Glover no chance.
Key Moments
88 GOAL Villa finally break the deadlock. Matty Cash’s shot deflects off Emmanuel Lath and in.
Teams
Middlesbrough (4-2-3-1): Glover, Van de Berg, Engel, Clarke, Bagura (Coulson 83), Hackney (Howson 58), Barlaser (Gilbert 83), Jones (Fry 83), Rogers, Greenwood, Coburn (Lath 58) Subs not used: Crooks, McCabe, Bridge, Jones (gk).
Villa (4-4-2): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Lenglet, Moreno, Bailey (Diaby 69), Kamara, Dendoncker (Zaniolo 69), Ramsey, McGinn (Luiz 69), Duran (Watkins 69) Subs not used: Carlos, Iroegbunam, Proctor (gk), Marschall (gk).
