STERLING SYLVAN CAN STAND AND DELIVER

MICK McCARTHY joked in the summer that Sylvan Ebanks-Blake would have a stand named after him at Molineux if only his name was short enough.

To suggest he deserves to be placed alongside Wolves legends like Billy Wright and Stan Cullis is probably stretching it, even if he did score 37 goals in a season and a half.

Those goals ensured the Black Country side only a second shot at the top flight in 25 years.

Predictably, the former Manchester United trainee has struggled since McCarthy's side arrived in the Premier League two months ago.

The gap between the country's top two divisions has proved too far for a succession of strikers who looked a bit handy in the Championship.

Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell gave him the perfect opportunity to announce his arrival in the big-time on 83 minutes when his mindless challenge on Michael Kightly left referee Peter Walton with no option but to award Wolves a penalty.

Ebanks-Blake grabbed his chance and smashed a deserved equaliser past Brad Friedel.

If only his post-match comments had displayed the same composure.

"I thought we should have had a penalty in the first half so that just evened it up," he said.

Are you sure, Sylvan? You should have had BOTH and made the game safe.

The first appeal when Richard Dunne upended Kevin Doyle looked equally clear-cut. And that would have put Wolves a goal up at half-time against a Villa side who looked like they had used up all their energy beating Chelsea last week.

Martin O'Neill's team, by his own admission, did not play well.

He knows that victories over Liverpool at Anfield and Chelsea at home are all but negated if you lose at Blackburn and only draw at Wolves, who have won twice all season.

John Carew looked ineffective and it was no surprise to see him withdrawn with 20 minutes left.

His replacement Emile Heskey says he may need to play elsewhere if he is to secure a place in England's World Cup squad. He may have had a hand in Villa's goal on this occasion, but he needs to be contributing more if Villa are to stop having to rely on Gabby Agbonlahor.

They were guilty of exactly that last season when Agbonlahor stopped scoring with about two months of the season remaining.

His failure to maintain his prolific strike-rate was one of a number of reasons why Villa failed to qualify for the Champions League.

They had a chance in the second minute when James Milner scuffed a shot and Wayne Hennessey was able to 'collect' the ball rather than save it.

Then Doyle was clearly fouled by Dunne and referee Walton turned away the Wolves protests.

From then on, Villa offered very little. It's one thing to be short of luck but when a team fails to impose themselves, they're less likely to make their own luck.

They did not muster a single chance for the rest of the half even though the home side did not exactly pose a major threat.

Ashley Young's form must be a slight concern for O'Neill.

He was another reason why Villa's campaign to break the top four fell flat on its face. Less than a year ago, his excellent stoppage-time winner at Everton had prompted the Villa boss to describe his former Watford winger as "world class."

If he looked world class today, we can probably assume he was playing in the Third World.

Like Heskey, this season is huge for Young if he is to fulfill his dream of representing England at the World Cup finals.

AGBONLAHOR: Nets the opener

So far, he will have done little to convince Fabio Capello that he is a better option on the right than David Beckham or Aaron Lennon, or even Shaun Wright-Phillips.

In fact, given O'Neill's admirable record of not being afraid to make changes at the clubs he has managed, do not be surprised to see Stewart Downing given a chance on the wing for Villa when he finally gets fit.

In fairness, the away side improved a little in the second half. Even Young's influence was increasing as he began taking on his full-back and even testing the goalkeeper on occasion.

They forced a breakthough with a goal that was made in England. Or at least, made on the fringes of England.

Young did well to keep the ball in play and his pass found Milner, who in turn found Heskey. The former Liverpool striker crossed neatly into the box and Agbonlahor smartly turned Jody Craddock and put the ball beyond Hennessey in the 78th minute.

The Villa striker became the latest Premier League star to act stupidly in front of opposing fans when he incited the home supporters in the Jack Harris Stand.

He placed a finger on his lips in response to some unpleasant songs they were alleged to have been singing about his mother.

O'Neill must have thought his side had escaped this intense local derby with a scarcely deserved win.

But within six minutes, Sidwell brought down the impressive Kightly and Walton awarded as obvious a penalty as has been seen anywhere this season.

Ebanks-Blake stepped up and hammered it into the roof of the net.

Villa still had 11 minutes, including stoppage time, to win the game but did not show enough initiative against their stubborn opponents.

Wolves' problems were not in evidence in this game, but the wider concern is that they won't win enough games against the teams around them at the bottom.

One home punter was reminded after the whistle that his team faced Arsenal here next. His response: "Bloody hell."

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