READING, March 9, (AFP): Gabriel Agbonlahor’s superb volley handed Aston Villa a vital 2-1 victory over Reading at the Madejski Stadium as Paul Lambert’s side moved three points clear of the relegation zone on Saturday. Agbonlahor lashed home on the stroke of half-time to add to Christian Benteke’s equaliser after a disastrous own goal from Nathan Baker had gifted Reading the lead. Reading striker Noel Hunt had a goal disallowed for offside in the second half but the Royals, four points from safety, find themselves only separated from the foot of the table on goals scored after QPR’s victory over Sunderland. Villa will be more optimistic they can win their fight for Premier League survival after recovering from successive defeats against Arsenal and Manchester City.

Lambert made changes after those losses, restoring captain Ron Vlaar to the heart of his central defence and handing a first league start to Frenchman Yacouba Sylla in an attacking 4-3-3 formation. A dismal display in their last home match against Wigan had seen Reading slip back into the bottom three but they came flying out of the blocks this time. Five minutes later some disastrous defending from Villa gifted Reading the lead as Hope Akpan back-heeled a low cross from Jobi McAnuff towards goal, where Baker, under no pressure, sliced his clearance into his own net. To Lambert’s relief, Benteke scored a brilliant equaliser 105 seconds after the restart as he fired home a cut-back from Weimann after the Austrian had latched onto Ashley Westwood’s through-ball.

And it got even better for Villa in first-half stoppage time when Barry Bannan’s shot hit the post and found its way back to Agbonlahor, who smashed the ball into the net with a superb volley. Reading tried to up the tempo after the break but it was Sylla who came close to giving Villa a two-goal cushion when his shot flashed just over the bar. Hunt then thought he had found an equaliser from McAnuff’s cross but the replays showed he was correctly flagged offside. Home manager Brian McDermott threw on substitutes Garath McCleary and Nick Blackman in a bid to change the game and Reading created two gilt-edged chances for Robson-Kanu. First he side-footed wide from the penalty spot after controlling the ball on his chest and then headed straight at Guzan when perfectly found by McAnuff’s cross.
 

QPR 3, Sunderland 1
In London, Queens Park Rangers came from behind to beat Sunderland 3-1 at Loftus Road  with Andros Townsend’s stunning strike setting the West London outfit on the way to a precious three points.
It looked set to be another long afternoon for QPR when Steven Fletcher put Sunderland in front 20 minutes in, but Loic Remy took advantage of a lucky break of the ball to equalise 10 minutes later. Townsend, who is on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, then put the home side in front 20 minutes from the end with a brilliant left-footed volley from 25 yards that dipped into Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet’s top right-hand corner. It was Townsend’s first Premier League goal, and there was more to come for the hosts as Jermaine Jenas volleyed home in the final minute to wrap up the points.

This was just their second home win of the campaign but, following on from their 2-1 victory at Southampton last weekend, QPR appear to be finding some consistency in the nick of time. However, they remain bottom of the table and are still four points from safety after Aston Villa’s victory at Reading. Sunderland, meanwhile, have now gone six Premier League games without a win and remain too close to the danger zone for comfort. Seeking to pick up where they left off last weekend, QPR started brightly and came close to taking the lead inside four minutes when Junior Hoilett drilled a shot just wide of the far post. Nevertheless, when the deadlock was broken, it was the visiting fans who were celebrating.
 

West Brom 2, Swansea 1
In West Bromwich, Swansea City were left ruing their misfortune as a slapstick Jonathan de Guzman own goal saw them beaten 2-1 at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Luke Moore put Swansea ahead against his former club in the first half, only for the hosts to level through Romelu Lukaku’s 13th goal of the season. On-loan Chelsea striker Lukaku had a penalty saved early in the second half, but de Guzman’s unfortunate own goal handed West Brom victory. Michael Laudrup’s Swansea thought they had snatched a share of the spoils at the death, but substitute Roland Lamah’s goal was ruled out for an apparently non-existent offside.

It was only Swansea’s third defeat in 12 league games and left the League Cup winners in ninth place in the table, while West Brom climbed above both Swansea and Liverpool to seventh. Swansea had stormed out of the traps at the Hawthorns, with de Guzman firing a free-kick narrowly wide of Ben Foster’s right-hand post and Michu poking the ball wide from a Moore through-ball. Having notched the winner at home to Newcastle United last weekend, Moore broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute when he angled a header past Foster from de Guzman’s left-wing corner.

Saints 0, Norwich 0
In Norwich, Southampton goalkeeper Artur Boruc boosted his side’s bid for Premier League survival with a dramatic late penalty save in a 0-0 draw at Norwich.  Mauricio Pochettino’s team looked set for a damaging defeat when Norwich captain Grant Holt stepped up to take the spot-kick in stoppage-time at Carrow Road.
But former Celtic star Boruc made a superb stop to deny Holt and lift Southampton, in 16th place, four points clear of the relegation zone.
A fixture played in driving rain and sleet made for testing conditions and both teams struggled to find any momentum for long periods. Southampton created the first opening when Norwich goalkeeper Mark Bunn tipped over Adam Lallana’s rising 20-yard drive.
The visitors threatened again when Rickie Lambert’s pass found Gaston Ramirez in space on the edge of the Norwich penalty area, but his attempted chip was palmed out by Bunn as Javier Garrido mopped up the loose ball.

At the other end, Robert Snodgrass whipped in a 25-yard free-kick that Boruc punched away. Pochettino’s men had a glorious opportunity to take the lead at the start of the second half. Having burst down the left and cut into the penalty area, Jay Rodriguez’s cross was cleared by Sebastien Bassong but the ball fell to Lallana some 12 yards out and he could only blaze high over the bar. Rodriguez’s snapshot was then beaten away by Bunn and Lambert fired the rebound over. At the other end, Snodgrass was played in by Wes Hoolahan but the ball ran away from the Scotland international as he went around the goalkeeper, which allowed Maya Yoshida to clear.

There was late drama, though, as Luke Shaw pushed over Holt just inside the penalty area and referee Mark Clattenburg pointed to the spot after consulting with his assistant. Holt scored an injury-time winner against Everton recently but there was to be no repeat as Boruc guessed right to make the save.