Stevenage dump Aston Villa out of the FA Cup
League Two side Stevenage scored two late goals to dump Aston Villa out of the FA Cup. Unai Emery’s side seemed to go through leading 1-0 thanks to Morgan Sanson’s goal in the 33rd minute but it was Stevenage who produced a Houdini act in the last few minutes of normal time for a famous […]
League Two side Stevenage scored two late goals to dump Aston Villa out of the FA Cup. Unai Emery’s side seemed to go through leading 1-0 thanks to Morgan Sanson’s goal in the 33rd minute but it was Stevenage who produced a Houdini act in the last few minutes of normal time for a famous win.
The away side only had 6 substitutes on the bench but two of them, Jamie Reid and Dean Campbell, scored after coming on to turn the game on its head and complete a third-round giant killing act.
Premier League versus League Two
Despite the gulf in glass between the two teams, it was Stevenage who started the better of the two in the night.
The League two side cut open Villa in the 17th minute when Danny Rose finished off in style from Luke Norris’ low cross from the left wing, but VAR chalked it off due to offside.
Villa however took the lead after wonderful interplay in the middle of the park. Phillipe Coutinho found between Douglas Luiz who quickly shifted the ball to Leon Bailey only for the Jamaican to lay it off to Danny Ings.
The Englishman played in Sanson who took a touch and then finished with aplomb in the bottom left corner. It was Sanson’s first goal for the club since moving to Villa Park from Marseille two years ago.
Stevenage were unlucky not to be level in the 39th minute when Norris hit the post with a delightful shot from the left flank.
The winger was a constant menace for the home side getting the better of Matty Cash on several occasions in the first half. Villa could have put the game to bed in the second half had Bailey and Ings not spurned opportunities of their own.
Late upset
Stevenage soaked up the pressure and looked to hit the home side on the break and were resolute despite being a goal down. It was finally 1-1 in the 88th minute when Leander Dendoncker was sent off for a cynical tug off the shirt on Campbell.
The Belgian midfielder lost possession after receiving the ball from goalkeeper Robin Olsen on the edge of his own box which Campbell nicked it off before being impeded through on goal.
Referee Graham Scott pointed to the spot and Reid stepped up to slot home to restore parity on the night.
Stevenage then scored their second of the night after working a short corner and Campbell who was left unmarked, drilled his shot past Olsen at the near post much to the jubilation of the 3000 away fans at Villa Park.
This was the seventh successive year that Villa have gone out of the FA Cup in the third round. Stevenage, who wrote themselves in the history books with the away win will now travel to Stoke City in the fourth round.
Photo credit: IMAGO / PA Images
