Express & Star

West Brom 2 Aston Villa 2 - Report and pictures

A controversial late equaliser from Jay Rodriguez robbed Villa of two points in an enthralling West Midlands derby between these two Championship heavyweights.

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After beating Villa keeper Orjan Nyland at the near post in injury time, the ball bounced off Rodriguez's hand while he lay on the floor and trickled into the net to send The Hawthorns into raptures.

Two goals from Anwar El Ghazi looked to have won it for Dean Smith's visitors and given Villa a fifth win in six.

After his deflected goal had been cancelled out by Dwight Gayle in the first half, the talented 23-year-old fired a rocket into Sam Johnstone's top corner on the hour mark.

But then, in the first minute of injury time, Albion got a huge slice of luck, and ensured the points were shared in a thrilling 2-2 draw in front of a sell-out crowd between the division's two top scorers.

Darren Moore brought in Gayle and Gareth Barry for injured pair Hal Robson-Kanu and James Morrison, with the former Villa man adding yet another layer of intrigue to a derby dripping in subplot.

Smith, who was nearly given the Albion job in the summer, made one change, reinstating Alan Hutton at right-back following his suspension as both sides lined up in matching 4-3-3 formations.

But it was the young Albion right-back, Tosin Adarabioyo, who showed as early as the fourth minute that he wasn't fazed by the occasion, backheeling the ball to Matt Phillips in his own third.

After a few jittery moments at the back, the hosts started on the front foot, and swung a couple of dangerous free-kicks into the Villa box that were cleared.

It was a frantic start, with the visitors also trying their luck with crosses to the far post for the in-form Tammy Abraham, a ploy they would continue to try.

Ten minutes in, the effervescent Matt Phillips caught a bouncing ball flush with a first time effort from 25 yards that fizzed just a foot wide of Orjan Nyland's far post.

But just two minutes later, Smith's side took the lead with a long-range effort of their own, although it owed a lot to lady luck.

When Anwar El Ghazi drifted in off the left, he wasn't closed down quick enough, and his shot brushed off Jake Livermore before hitting Ahmed Hegazi square on the head and wrong-footing the helpless Sam Johnstone.

The Baggies responded, with Harvey Barnes driving into the penalty area before a well-timed block from Hutton.

Barry had started well at the base of Albion's midfield, and it was the veteran who was dictating play for the first 20 minites.

At the midway point of the half, Johnstone sprung down to his right to claw out an Abraham shot after the Villa man had been found after a driving run forward from Hutton.

That proved to be a pivotal moment, because moments later, the Baggies levelled with a brilliant counter-attacking goal of clinical precision.

For the first time in the match, Barnes got the better of Hutton when Phillips sent the pair on a footrace down the left.

The youngster then clipped the ball to the far post where Gayle – starting his first game in seven – was on hand to guide the ball back past Nyland to make it 1-1 with his 10th goal of the season and send The Hawthorns into raptures.

But just as the hosts had responded to going behind, Smith's men responded to conceding an equaliser.

Two minutes later Villa wanted a penalty when John McGinn went down after Barry tugged at his shoulder, but referee Darren England said no, and he evened it up soon after when Barnes was harshly judged to have fouled Axel Tunazebe on the touchline.

It was Villa's turn to flood forward now, and they nearly retook the lead when McGinn cracked the post from the edge of the area before Adarabioyo had to clear from under the crossbar with Yannick Bolasie lurking ominously.

The match was swaying back and forth. Rodriguez stung Nyland's palms from range before Phillips wasted a free-kick on the stroke of half-time.

Albion started the second half brightly, and Gayle should have had a second after Barnes skinned Hutton before Kieran Gibbs stood up a cross to the back post, but the Albion goalscorer headed over the bar.

Hutton then produced a superb flying block from deny Barnes before he was forced to move to left-back when Neil Taylor went off injured, and was replaced by Ahmed Elmohamady.

There was a rare lull in play after that, before El Ghazi woke everyone up on the hour mark.

The 23-year-old, on loan from Lille, is quickly making a name for himself in the West Midlands, and there was nothing fortunate about his second.

Jack Grealish drifted across the pitch before poking the ball to the Dutch international just as Jake Livermore stepped in.

Kieran Gibbs was drawn ever so slightly drawn to Elmohamady's overlap, allowing El Ghazi to fire a rocket into the top corner.

Albion were rattled and Villa should have made it three soon after when Bolasie found Abraham in acres of space six yards out, but for once, the red-hot striker fumbled his lines and Albion cleared.

Abraham missed another chance with 20 minutes to go, heading wide after Dawson had lost possession in his own half, before Gayle struggled to get Barnes's cross out of his feet.

Moore sent on Chris Brunt to try and help regain a foothold, but El Ghazi was sparkling on the right wing, and his roulette round Albion's club captain epitomised his night.

Forgotten man Oli Burke came on for right-back Adarabioyo late on, but it was Rodriguez who made the telling impact late on.

Having fairly challenged for the ball with Nyland, he and his side were then given a huge slice of luck when the ball hit Rodriguez's hand and trickled over the line. Not that any of the home end cared.

The draw extends both these sides' unbeaten runs to five and six games respectively, and after a pulsating match under the lights, cemented both teams as serious promotion contenders.

KEY MOMENTS

12 GOAL VILLA - El Ghazi's deflected effort bounces in off Hegazi's head.

29 GOAL ALBION - Gayle rounds off a clinical counter-attack, guiding in Barnes's cross

31 Villa want a penalty when McGinn goes down under Barry's tug.

39 McGinn cracks the post from just outside the box.

59 GOAL VILLA - El Ghazi fires a rocket into the top corner

64 Abraham misses a glaring chance from five yards out.

90+1 GOAL ALBION - Rodriguez handles the ball over the line.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Anwar El Ghazi - Two goals from the Dutchman should have won it for Villa.

TEAMS

Albion (4-3-3): Johnstone, Adarabioyo (Burke 81), Dawson, Hegazi, Gibbs; Phillips, Barry, Livermore (c) (Brunt 72); Gayle, Rodriguez, Barnes.

Unused subs: Myhill, Mears, Hoolahan, Harper, Sako.

Villa (4-3-3): Nyland, Hutton, Chester, Tuanzebe, Taylor (Elmohamady 52), Hourihane, McGinn, Grealish (Whelan 86), El Ghazi, Abraham, Bolasie (Kodjia 82).

Unused subs: Bunn, Revan, O'Hare, Hogan.

Referee: Darren England

Attendance: 26,513 (2,617 away)