FT: Sunderland 1 Aston Villa 2

O'Neill: Flying high

90+4 Villa gradually take the corner, and Dean blows the final whistle as Villa come out on top in a game riddled with controversy. Barry proves the matchwinner despite Ashley Young's dissmissal. Thanks for tuning into today's commentary, hope you've enjoyed the game as much as I have. Until next time.

90+3 Agbonlahor nearly puts the game to bed with a snapshot which goes behind for a corner.

90+3 Cisse is furious as Sundeland waste an opportunity to give him the ball in the penalty area.

90+2 Only a minute left in the game. Sunderland pile it forward.

90+1 Fullop's up for the corner, but Villa get the ball away.

90 Penalty shouts from Sunderland, and not for the first time they fall on deaf ears. Inconclusive whether it's ball to hand or handball for Luke Young's block from Edwards cross.

88 Villa clear through Milner, but the winger loses the ball and it's a goal-kick to Sunderland.

86 Andy Reid wins a corner after his shot in the six yard area is blocked.

85 Friedel just about manages to gather the ball from a Sunderland cross, but Villa are facing constant pressure from the Black Cats.

84 BOOKING! Taino for his challenge on Petrov.

83 Match has become subdued after Barry's penalty.

81 Edwards is buzy again and he sends a ball into the box, which Villa eventually get clear.

81 SUNDERLAND SUB: Diouf off for Reid.

79 BOOKING! Fullop for not retreating.

79 GOAL!! Barry the reliable blasts it into the top right corner giving Fullop no chance. Villa show their qualities!

79 PENALTY FOR VILLA!!Friedel goes route one and are awarded a penalty for McShane's daft attempt to clear the ball from Agbonlahor. Although on second look it was boarderline outside the area.

78 Sunderland go on the attack down the right, great play by Edwards ans his left-footed cross should have been burried by Jones.

77 Villa go again, as Milner darts into the box, but Ferdinand is on hand to put the ball behind for a throw-in.

76 Tempo of the game has subsided with sending off and the crowd have gone quiet briefly.

73 SUB! Sidwell is coming off for Craig Gardner.

72 ASHLEY YOUNG SENT OFF!! An immediate decision by Mike Dean after Young's lunge on Dean Whitehead. On first glance it didn't look the worst challenge, but going by the letter of the law - it was reckless and it was very late so the winger had to go.

70 Corner is cleared but only as far as Ashley Young who found Agbonlahor, but he couldn't find a good first touch.

69 McShane sends a free-kick long into Villa's penalty area, but Villa break again and Barry tees up Milner to cross, which McShane skies over his bar for a corner.

68 Milner takes a breather - he can remark after this game of another lung-bursting performance. He has proved another super Martin O'Neill capture.

67 Young, again flashes a ball across the box, but Agbonlahor can't reach it.

66 Diouf took a dive deep in Villa's half, but Dean waved away the former Liverpool and Bolton man's protests.

65 Last three minutes have been frenetic - Villa went close through Milner, before Sunderland have twice got into shooting positions only for Friedel to gather gratefully.

62 DOUBLE SUBSITUTION! Bardsley on for Collins and McShane on for Nosworthy.

59 GOAL!!! Milner equalises for Villa, but its a controversal one. Ashley Young did superbly down the right and ran to the byline, before flashing the ball across the six yard box. Milner who had a yard on Chimbonda, was tripped by the right-back and as Milner lost his footing and fell into the path of the ball. It looked like it hit his left hand as it went in.

58 Cuellar concedes a corner, which Sunderland take quickly. Bad move as Villa go on the counter.

57 Corner is cleared, before Sunderland win a free-kick when Sidwell bundles Jones to the ground.

57 Reo-Coker nervously puts the ball behind for a Sunderland corner, he was only a yard away from putting the ball in his own net.

56 Jones, jinked into the box from the right, but his left foot shot was scuffed and Friedel gladly held.

55 The noise is starting to pick up at the Stadium of Light as both sides up the ante. Challenges are flying in a Mike Dean has let play continue to his credit.

54 Villa looking the better of the two this half, and look to work the ball to Ashley Young at every opportunity.

53 BOOKING! Cisse for his lunge on Milner.

52 Cisse flies into a challenge on James Milner, typical strikers dive in.

52 Close call from Villa's Davies as he nearly gave the ball to Cisse, who would have been one-on-one had Davies not got the ball clear.

51 The Stadium of Light rings out as the home supporters issue a rally cry to their players.

49 Taino bossed the midfield in the first half, and he's carried where he left off by winning a free-kick from Sidwell's challenge.

49 Sunderland get onto the ball for the first time this half, but Cisse couldn't get onto a through-ball and it's a Villa goal-kick.

48 Collins goes off for medical treatment.

47 Reo-Coker and Collins clash, with the Villa right-back winnning the ball and the goalscorer left in a heap on the floor.

46 Reo-Coker delivers the free-kick into the box, but Cuellar gives away a free-kick for a challenge in Sunderland's penalty area.

46 Collins concedes a free-kick.

Any more comments on the match, or the players involved - elliott.ball@bskyb.com. Villa get the 2nd half underway kicking left to right.

David Bailey from Plymouth's tip of an Ashley Young brace to accompany a Villa 3-1 win is still on, although they'll have to do something special in the second half to turn things around. I do cast my mind back to when they went a goal behind against Bolton and eased to victory so you never know.

Ryan Palmer from Tiverton thought Villa were going to stroll to victory today, while he thinks Jones would be a step in the wrong direction for Villa, with Rob rating the forward as "Championship quality".

45 HALF TIME 1-0 Sunderland. Mike Dean hasn't played any injury time and he blows up for half time. Danny Collin's first goal in front of his home fans after 5 seasons at the club. I think the Black Cats just edged the first 45, especially considering they could and probably should have been awarded a penalty. Villa, have not been at their best at either ends, but grew stronger as the half wore on, with Ashley Young coming closest with a trademark free-kick. If the first half is anything to go by, a grandstand finish is in prospect!! Just off for a cuppa, I'll post some of your views when I get back.

44 After a free-kick and corner double, Sunderland come out strong with Fullop impressing with a couple of good punches, before gathering the ball and easing the pressure.

43 BOOKING! Nosworthy for his block on Agbonlahor.

43 Free-kick is cleared and Agbonlahor races away with the ball. Agbonlahor is one-on-one with Nosworthy who cheaply blocks the forward off.

42 It's Diouf's turn to hold up the ball, wins a free-kick on the left byline after doing excellent to keep the ball in play.

41 Young sends an almost identical free-kick to the one he scored against Sunderland at Villa Park inches wide. Looked as though it was going to sneak in. Villa's best chance.

40 Diouf concedes a free-kick after a clumsy challenge on Milner.

39 Ashley Young, now on the right holds the ball up and wins a throw-in. However, Sunderland clear the ball to Villa's last man.

38 Offside CIsse. Bad decision, Davies misjudged it there and the Frenchman should have been allowed to latch onto the through ball.

37 Sunderland try to stem Villa's flow with possession, but they give it away cheaply as Villa start another move in their own half.

36 Villa are turning the heat on Sunderland now, but Diouf tracks back and wins a goal kick off Ashley Young. Didn't know Diouf had defensive skills in his locker!

35 Aston Villa are beginning to get a feel for the game, a decent Milner cross from the right by-line isn't used effectively by Agbonlahor and Sunderland clear.

35 Barry drills the free-kick in, but it cleared on the second time of asking through Jones.

34 A scramble in Villa's half sees the away side break, until Barry is fouled by Nosworthy.

32 Villa get the ball and send it long. Barry finds himself with a chance to shoot in the penalty area, but mistimes his effort and his half volley shot balloons easily into Fullop's hands.

32 Sunderland get the ball back and pump it long and win a throw-in.

31 Edwards concedes a free-kick on the half way line for a shove on Luke Young.

30 Martin O'Neill must be pulling what's left of the hair on his head - uncharacteristic Villa defending is letting them down at the moment. The Champions League hopefuls are not having it their own way today!

28 Ferdinand darts to the near post and flashes a header just the wrong side of the left post. Poor defending, especially from Sidwell, who was at fault for the goal.

27 Jones tries to get his head on the ball, but it's gone behind for another cotner.

26 Ball eventually is pumped into the box, but Fullop easily gathers. Then Sunderland move down the left through Diouf, who tees up Whitehead who hammers a shot goalwards. Friedel saves with his knees and the ball trickles behind for a corner.

25 Sunderland get their foot back on the ball, but then Villa get the ball and try to start a move in Sunderland's half.

23 Villa alleviate the pressure and win a free-kick identical to their last, but again the ball into the box fails to test Sunderland's defence.

21 Villa's back-line nervously holds steady from a Sunderland onslaught, Sunderland are going for the jugular here.

19 Milner has been Villa's best player and he chased a lost cause to earn a corner for Villa. Chimbonda, who conceded the corner had a couple of snaps at Milner's heels then, if he went down I wonder if Dean would have blown for a pen??

18 BOOKING! Luke Young commits to a challenge on Chimbonda, but misses the ball and accepts his punishment.

16 Young's free-kick is cleared and Sunderland try to break with a long ball to Cisse, but Reo-Coker tracks back and heads it back to Freidel.

15 Villa win a free-kick in a similar dangerous position to which they conceded.

14 Good work from Whitehead, ends up with Jones powering a right-foot shot from just outside the 18-yard box. It's straight at Freidel though and the Villa stopper holds.

13 From kick-off, Sundeland win another free-kick, this time in their own half. This time Villa deal with the ball into the box much better and get the ball away for a Sunderland throw-in.

11 GOAL!!!! Simple free-kick from Edwards and Collins has found the back of the net. Villa, normally so tight at the back were at six's and seven's then. It wasn't a killer ball into the box, yet Collins was easily able to give the Black Cats the lead.

10 Kenwyne Jones earns a free-kick in a fairly dangerous position, after Curtis Davies sent the Villa target tumbling with an ill-timed tackle

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9 It's Villa's turn to enjoy possession in their opponents half. They work it left to right, but Reo-Coker's cross is poor.

7 Milner steals the ball off Chimbonda, and delivers a sweet, outside-the-foot cross towards Ashley Young, but December's Player of the Month couldn't get on the end of the super low cross.

6 Milner gets on the ball, out on the left, but his cross is too close to Fuller and the Sunderland keeper catches with ease.

5 Cisse gives the ball away cheaply, and Milner tries to set Agbonlahor on a Villa counter-attack, but Chimbonda wins a throw-in.

4 Black Cats are enjoying healthy amount of possession in Villa's half, Martin O'Neill's side need to get a foot on the ball.

3 Petrov handles the ball in the area, right in front of Mike Dean, but the ref waves away appeals. That was a huge decision there - I've seen less given!

2 Sunderland's crowd give the side an ulmighty cheer as the game kicks-off, then Edwards puts a decent ball into the box and Sidwell concedes a corner.

1 Sunderland kick off, kicking left-to-right, but hand Villa a goal kick.

Players are on the pitch, kick off is imminent. Don't forget you can let me know your views my emailing me at elliott.ball@bskyb.com. Let me know what you think the score will be or even let me know your views on Villa's apparent interest in Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones.

Don't forget you can log onto skysports.com and put your prediction on the game along with 5 others on Soccer Saturday Super 6. You could win £100,000 so I recommend you go for it.

Betting on today's match? Skybet's latest odds have a Sunderland win at 9/4, a Villa win at 6/5 and a stalemate at 12/5 which is what we reckon would be the best punt.

Full team line-ups:

Sunderland: Fulop, Chimbonda, Nosworthy, Ferdinand, Collins, Edwards, Tainio, Whitehead, Diouf, Cisse, Jones. Subs: Colgan, Bardsley, Chopra, Leadbitter, Reid, Healy,McShane.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Reo-Coker, Davies, Cuellar, Luke Young, Milner, Sidwell, Petrov, Barry, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor. Subs: Guzan, Harewood, Delfouneso, Knight, Salifou, Shorey, Gardner.

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill made only one change as he looked to maintain momentum in the race for a top-four finish.

Central defender Martin Laursen misses only his second Premier League game in two seasons and is replaced by Carlos Cuellar.

Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia is without suspended midfielder Steed Malbranque, while Kieran Richardson also misses out after having stitches put into a head wound at Middlesbrough last weekend.

Carlos Edwards and Teemu Taino are back in the starting line-up, while Paul McShane is included among the substitutes after being recalled from his loan spell at Hull.

We can't forget about the talents of Ashley Young, who picked up the Player of the Month award for December (Here's a stat Villa fans - Young is the first player in the history of the Premier League to win the award three times in a calendar year) and the winger scored a delightful free-kick in the reverse fixture.

We at skysports.com reckon it will be 1-1 today and I think the key men have to be Black Cats' Djibril Cisse and Villa's Gabby Agbonlahor - both forwards have hit the heights so far this season scoring 17 goals between them in the league so watch out for them.

Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon's minute-by-minute commentary of Sunderland versus Aston Villa. I'm Elliot Ball and I'll be your eyes and ears at The Stadium of Light today.

Updates will appear here from 1500 GMT...