Sunderland 0 - 2 Aston Villa: Milner returns to torment old foes as Villa stay on course

Published on Tuesday 15 December 2009 23:36

NEWCASTLE old boy James Milner returned to haunt Sunderland with a stunning long-range strike as Aston Villa maintained the pressure on the Barclays Premier League's leading teams.

The England midfielder struck home a 25-yard shot to seal a second away win in four days after Villa's weekend heroics at Manchester United.

Emile Heskey had put the visitors in front with 24 minutes gone and, although the Black Cats more than made a game of it, Stewart Downing and Ashley Young both hit the woodwork before Milner made sure of the points.

Steve Bruce's men might have got themselves back into the game four minutes after the break, but Andy Reid wasted arguably their best chance of the game, and Villa were in no mood to allow their advantage to slip as they became only the second away team after Chelsea to win at the Stadium of Light in the league this season.

Sunderland have now won only one of their last eight top-flight fixtures.

Sunderland: Fulop, Nosworthy, Turner (Mensah 82), Da Silva, McCartney, Henderson (Cattermole 71), Cana, Richardson, Reid, Bent, Jones (Bardsley 82). Subs not used: Carson, Malbranque, Campbell, Healy. Sent Off: Cana (79). Booked: Cana, McCartney.

Aston Villa: Friedel, L Young, Cuellar, Dunne, Warnock, A Young, Petrov, Milner, Downing, Heskey, Agbonlahor (Sidwell 90). Subs not used: Guzan, Carew, Delph, Reo-Coker, Beye, Collins. Booked: Milner, L Young.

Attendance: 34,821.

Referee: K Friend (Leicestershire).