Aston Villa had Shay Given to thank after they held on to their unbeaten start to the season drawing 1-1 with Newcastle who are also yet to taste defeat.
The Villa keeper was on top form to frustrate his former employers denying Steven Taylor, Gabriel Obertan, Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye during the course of the game.
He was beaten though by Leon Best in the second half with his Republic of Ireland teammate bringing the game level after Gabriel Agbonlahor broke the deadlock for Alex McLeish’s side with his third of the season.
Both managers will be content with a point which preserves their unbeaten starts although Magpies boss Alan Pardew will be cursing his teams luck and Given’s impeccable goalkeeping.
He will have been unhappy with his sides defending as Agbonlahor opening the scorn after 15 minutes. The 24-year-old reacted quickest in the area sweeping the ball past Tim Krul from 10 yards after Barry Bannan’s cross had hit Toon captain Fabricio Coloccini.
Villa moved into the ascendency after that with Bannan sending a scorching 25-yard effort just wide before Darren Bent squandered a glorious opportunity side footing Stiliyan Petrov’s low cross wide from eight-yards when it looked easier to score.
The visitors should have equalised just before the break with Taylor’s low shot saved smartly by Given and Ba’s clipped shot sailing over the bar from 15 yards.
It didn’t take them long to find the net though with Best beating Given at the second time of asking. His initial downward header from Cheick Tiote’s cross was saved by the Vila keeper with the ball dropping kindly to the forward who reacted sharply to tap it home.
Chances came and went for both sides with Bent seeing his lobbed effort hacked away by Taylor whilst Cabaye’s crisp volley was brilliantly tipped wide by Given.
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