ASTON VILLA 1, MAN CITY 1

CRAIG BELLAMY earned Manchester City a point and ensured Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne's header was not the winner against his former club.

Republic of Ireland giant Dunne powered home past his international colleague Shay Given to give Villa a first-half lead but Bellamy slammed a deserved equaliser after City improved in the second period.

One of the main reasons for the visitors' enhanced threat after the break was the introduction of another Irishman, Stephen Ireland, who ensured City got the upper hand in the midfield battle.

Much of the pre-match hype surrounded Gareth Barry's first return to his old stomping ground but it was Dunne who had the bigger impact, rising above the England man to convert Stephen Warnock's 15th-minute corner.

City had already survived a real scare from a set-piece when James Collins sent an Ashley Young corner goalwards but Given somehow kept it out at his near post.

Carlos Tevez saw a shot deflect off Emmanuel Adebayor but fly through to Brad Friedel while James Milner fired wide after collecting a pass by Steven Sidwell.

Incredibly, Dunne almost added a carbon-copy second when rising to meet a Milner copy but, this time, he was inches off target.

But City, urged forward by Ireland's promptings after he replaced Nigel De Jong, carried the greater impetus as the half wore on and were back on level terms through in-form Bellamy with 23 minutes left.

The Welshman was on hand to crash the ball past Friedel after excellent approach play by Adebayor, who returned after serving his three-match suspension.

Neither side was able to conjure up a winner as a draw was a fair result in the circumstances, with Martin O'Neill's Villans proving a match for Mark Hughes's big-spenders.

"It just seems to happen when you are up against a former club," said Dunne afterwards. "People seem to score. I don't have a celebration for when I score.

"Usually if I score, it's a surprise. I don't know when it is going to happen.

"But, as much as it was nice to score my first goal here in front of the Villa fans, I still have to remember how Manchester City have helped me throughout my career.

"You have to remember Man City looked after me for a long time. I enjoyed my time at City and respect the fans and everyone there so it was the right thing to do for me."

O'Neill refused to believe Barry's return to Villa Park was a factor in driving his team to a stirring display, particularly in the first half.

"Were we galvanised through Barry coming back? No, I don't think that at all," he said. "My own view was we had a game to play and Gareth is in the opposition now.

"It would have been strange for him to go into the away dressing room in the same way as Richard Dunne was a Man City player all these years.

"I experienced that myself as a player but it had little to do with the game.

"The players here have a great respect for Gareth for what he has done, and myself likewise."

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