Everton soar as Villa crash

Posted on Friday, August 21st, 2009 at 2:07 pm and is filed under News.

Everton all but sealed a place in the tournament proper of the 2009/2010 Europa League on Thursday, as two goals by 18-year-old Jack Rodwell helped to power the Premiership club to a 4-0 victory over Sigma Olomouc.

“He showed he is a very good player. He controlled parts of the game at different times,” Everton boss, David Moyes, said of his young ace after the match. “I was surprised by his shooting - he strikes a lovely ball but I haven’t seen him rattle the the net before.”

While Everton will need a disastrous performance in the second leg of their Europa League playoff to botch their ascent to the tournament, Aston Villa were left with plenty of work to do after they suffered as shock 1-0 defeat to Rapid Vienna on Thursday evening.

Nikica Jelavic scored Vienna’s only goal in the opening minute of the match, and Aston Villa never managed to get back into the game. The loss compounds the club’s misery after losing their opening Premier League fixture to Wigan Athletic on the weekend.

“We knew this was going to be exceptionally difficult - so will the return tie - but we are going to try to win,” Martin O’Neill told the AFP after the match. “Of course we can overturn it. It was never going to be an easy match but this time next week we will be fitter again.”