HORRID HENRI
Lansbury sees red, misses a sitter.. all after Traore shame
HENRI LANSBURY had a nightmare by getting sent off after smashing the bar with a shot when it was easier to score and lift the pressure off Villa boss Steve Bruce. And all this after Middlesbrough were forced to play for 86 minutes with 10 men after ex-villa winger Adama Traore saw red himself. Villa owner Tony Xia posted an angry face on social media four day ago – at this rate Bruce will be fearing the skull and crossbones. The Chinese billionaire was unhappy with the goalless outcome last Saturday against Brentford. And wasted no time letting the world know it. How he will respond to last night’s stalemate is anyone’s guess. This draw meant the former European champions have recorded just one victory in their opening seven games. And this one was not particularly creditable as Villa had the benefit of playing with an extra man for an hour. Traore made a senseless lunge at Conor Hourihane after just four minutes and was deservedly dismissed. It was a key moment. The Irishman went to clear the ball down the flank and was always favourite to reach it first. Traore threw himself into the challenge. It was late, caught one of the Villa midfielder’s legs and, given the wet conditions, it needed to be timed perfectly to escape any punishment. It was far from that and referee James Linington made the correct decision. That should have set up Bruce’s boys to throw the kitchen sink at Boro. But there was only one real scare for Darren Randolph in the visitors’ goal. Lansbury thumped a shot against the bar from just eight yards with the net at his mercy early in the second half. The balance then tipped the other way when Lansbury saw red for a professional foul – upending Boro sub Marvin Johnson as he threatened to break. This fired up Villa to produce their best spell as the game moved into the final quarter. And it also saw one of the most incredible misses that the Championship will witness this season. Randolph had done well to block sub Jonathan Kodjia’s far-post header. The ball broke to Hourihane, who fired the rebound goalwards. Scott Hogan attempted to get out of the way but, somehow, the shot cannoned into him and away to safety.