O'Neill happy with effort

O'Neill: Frustrating draw

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Martin O'Neill was happy with Aston Villa's effort after his side were held at home by a battling Wigan.

Villa could have gone second with a win but could not make the crucial breakthrough, despite laying siege to the Wigan goal in the second period.

Zat Knight's downward header hit the post, while Maynor Figueroa cleared a Gabriel Agbonlahor header off the line and Paul Scharner made two goalline clearances from John Carew and Luke Young.

O'Neill told Sky Sports News that his side had created enough pressure and chances in the second half to have won the game.

Really unfortunate

"It was really unfortunate - I thought that one of them was going to be forced over the line but it wasn't to be," he said.

Villa had a penalty shout turned down when the ball appeared to hit Figueroa's arm in the box, although he was going down at the time.

Asked if it should have been a penalty, O'Neill replied: "The players say that it was a handball, I haven't seen it back and unfortunately the linesman missed it and also the referee.

"But it happens and overall in terms of effort from the side, I could not complain, not for one minute could I complain," he said.

He added his side started very brightly but could not force the goal before Villa keeper Brad Friedel made two great saves from Daniel De Ridder and Figueroa in the first period.

Continuous pressure

He said: "But the second-half belonged to us. I thought it was continuous pressure from us and we just couldn't force the winning goal."

Villa could have gone level on points with Manchester United at the top with a win, but O'Neill said: "Naturally I am disappointed that we haven't taken all three points.

"But the fact that at the end of January we are even talking about the possibility of that happening, I think that speaks volumes for the team."