ASTON VILLA 0, FULHAM 0

EXPECTATION turned to exasperation as Villa choked on the chance to climb into the top three.

With the opportunity to prove themselves as credible Champions League contenders, Martin O'Neill's boys bottled the big occasion.

Midfielder Steve Sidwell was guilty of a glaring point-blank miss that would have lifted the Villans above Manchester United.

Gareth Barry and Ashley Young also blew a bagful of chances to win the day and send out a powerful statement of intent.

It was a huge disappointment - especially after last week's impressive draw against champions United, which came hot on the heels of the epic 2-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates.

Incredibly, there were even boos around Villa Park at the end - that's how crestfallen the home fans were with such a laboured performance against mediocre, mid-table opponents who shamelessly came with limited ambition in attack.

O'Neill didn't deserve those jeers. But he understands the frustration.

He said: "Yes, this was a big opportunity for us today and we went into it full of confidence and with high hopes after the performances of recent weeks.

"Unfortunately we didn't grasp it and that's very disappointing.

"But I don't agree with you when you say we bottled it. I don't believe that.

"We had some great opportunities, three really good ones. And it would have been great to have taken just one of them.

"We didn't and that leaves us a bit flat now. But we will improve."

The route of the problem is Villa's predictability.

They rely on the pace of Gabriel Agbonlahor through the middle and Ashley Young and James Milner down the flanks.

That's fine if there is an end product. Unfortunately, against Fulham, there wasn't.

Villa's best chances, as usual, came from set-plays - free-kicks or corners from Young.

Three times he found the head of Barry in the box and three times the England man failed to score from close range. Yet Sidwell's blast over the top was the worst miss of a sorry afternoon.

Keeper Brad Friedel made fine saves from Simon Davies and Clint Dempsey to make sure Villa did not pay the ultimate price for such wastefulness.

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Yet Fulham boss Roy Hodgson said: "Villa had many more chances and so deserved to win it.

"We were under siege in the second half so I am very happy with a point."

And he expects Villa to stay in the mix at the top.

He said: "To be in the top four you need to be powerful. Villa have power, strength and enormous pace - important qualities the top teams all seem to possess."

Having added draws at Anfield and Villa Park to a win over Spurs, Fulham are now eighth - not bad for a side who survived the drop only on the last day of last season.

But Hodgson warned: "It would be very foolish of me to say that we might not be involved in a dogfight again this season. But we have enough quality and strength to get to a position of safety."

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