Black Cats in a spot of bother as Villans win

Oct 28 2009 By Stuart Rayner, The Journal

PENALTIES were Sunderland's undoing as they were denied a place in the quarter-finals of the League Cup by Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

The Black Cats saw the competition as their best route into Europe but reckoned without the American in Villa’s goal.

The game could have been settled in normal time, had Kenwyne Jones converted an 83rd-minute penalty. The spot kick was awarded for a Carlos Cuellar handball but Jones’ effort was tame and allowed Guzan to save to his left.

It ensured the game finished scoreless after 120 minutes and allowed Guzan to produce heroics in the penalty shoot-out.

Sunderland fans were resigned to their fate when Guzan saved from Andy Reid and Lorik Cana, and many were leaving the ground as Ashley Young capitalised on his save from Jordan Henderson to clinch a 3-1 victory for the visitors.

Villa only needed to take four of their five penalties, with Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon only able to keep out Gabriel Agbonlahor.

In a side which featured five changes from Sunderland’s defeat at Birmignham City, Henderson had been the best of the fringe players who caught the eye. Fraizer Campbell put in a lively shift on the right- hand side of an experimental 4-5-1 formation but 19-year-old Henderson was the most impressive Black Cats player, driving forward from midfield for the whole 120 minutes.