Villa see off sorry Boro

Middlesbrough managed to avoid dropping into the relegation zone despite a 3-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa.

Carew, Mellberg and Agbonlahor on target in Villa win

Middlesbrough managed to avoid dropping into the relegation zone despite a 3-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa. Goals from John Carew, Olof Mellberg and Gabriel Agbonlahor were enough to give Villa a comfortable victory. Scott Carson bounced back from his harrowing time with England in midweek to keep a clean sheet. Carew broke the deadlock right on the stroke of half-time to put Villa in control. Mellberg netted his first goal since August 2006 with a well-taken finish four minutes after the break and Agbonlahor grabbed the goal his performance deserved to pile the misery on Gareth Southgate's struggling troops. The striking problems which have crippled Southgate's men were plain to see and they could seldom muster a shot on target in a tame first half which only came to life when Carew hit Villa's opener in injury-time. For all Boro's undoubted hopes of putting Carson under more timely pressure, the closest they came was in the eighth minute when Stewart Downing's shot from the left squirmed under the keeper's body and flashed just wide of target.

Unable to capitalise

Given that Carson had horribly sliced an innocuous back-pass from Zat Knight seconds after kick-off, the keeper was not in his most confident mood but Boro - now with three goals from seven games - could not capitalise. Indeed it was Mark Schwarzer who almost made the crucial blunder on the half-hour when he fluffed an attempted clearance straight into the path of Carew, who was hustled off his shot by Jonathan Woodgate. Woodgate then had to deflect a dangerous Ashley Young cross inches over his own bar as Villa threatened to take the initiative in a match which always threatened to turn into a gruelling stalemate. Their opener duly arrived in first half injury-time when Gareth Barry delivered a fine cross from the left and Carew swivelled past David Wheater in the box before steering the ball home.

Howler

Villa eased further ahead two minutes after the break after Lee Cattermole's howler which soon prompted Southgate to make his first change. So few are his striking options he was forced to bring on a midfielder, Fabio Rochemback. Instead Villa responded by going further ahead, Agbonlahor's strength holding off his challenger before Schwarzer could only get a flailing hand to his drive as it squirmed into the net. It could have been more for Villa, who counter-attacked with strength and purpose and almost grabbed a fourth four minutes from time when Agbonlahor burst clear and shot past Schwarzer only to hit the base of the post. In contrast Boro's response to imminent defeat was pitiful. Gary O'Neil provided what passed for their most potent threat with a couple of shots which flashed narrowly wide from long range. By the time Downing forced Carson into turning his shot around the post, the home stands had emptied. Few were left to see Wheater steer a header wide of Carson's left-hand post in injury-time as the final act of an afternoon which sees the real prospect of relegation looming for the home side.

Middlesbrough	Team Statistics	Aston Villa
0	Goals	3
0	1st Half Goals	1
4	Shots on Target	4
7	Shots off Target	3
5	Blocked Shots	2
11	Corners	6
16	Fouls	17
1	Offsides	3
2	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
73	Passing Success	55
16	Tackles	26
68.8	Tackles Success	84.6
57.1	Possession	42.9
53	Territorial Advantage	47