11/05/2002  Chelsea 1 Aston Villa 3
 
Darius Vassell turned in an end-of-season treat at Stamford 
Bridge to confirm the faith of England manager Sven-Goran 
Eriksson is well placed.

The Aston Villa striker, named in England's squad for Korea 
and Japan in midweek, displayed the searing pace and 
delightful trickery which has so impressed Eriksson as Villa 
notched only their third win since February.

Vassell and beanpole striker Peter Crouch scored the Villa 
goals as Chelsea struggled to shrug off the disappointment of 
their FA Cup final defeat against Arsenal last weekend.

Eidur Gudjohnsen did manage to convert a second-half 
penalty kick for Chelsea after Mark Delaney had brought down 
Sam Dalla Bona.

But it was scant consolation for a Chelsea side which has 
seen another season of promise peter out in miserable 
frustration.

At least manager Claudio Ranieri, who has lowered the age 
at Stamford Bridge and begun to build a team with fresh 
impetus, has the reward of European football next season in 
the shape of the UEFA Cup, while Villa boss Graham Taylor can 
point to steadying improvement in the past few weeks after a 
somewhat traumatic start to his second tilt at management bat 
Villa Park.

In truth, however, this was a match for large part with 
'meaningless end-of-season encounter' written all over it - 
Ranieri using the opportunity to blood precocious teenagers 
Carlton Cole and Robert Huth.

It was Vassell, however, who stole the headlines, his 
England call having clearly given him the incentive for a 
performance which suggests he just might sit happily alongside 
Michael Owen from the start in Japan.

So often this season, as always it seems, Chelsea have 
flattered to deceive. And again they swept forwards at times 
with burgeoning promise, sweeping moves of invention but 
without delivering the end product.

The first-half, in particular, showed Chelsea in their most 
frustrating hue. Gianfranco Zola and Jesper Gronkjaer had 
venomous shots saved brilliantly by Peter Enckelman and Mario 
Melchiot was clean on the Villa goalkeeper only to see his 
scuffed shot saved by the keeper's legs.

But really it should have been a half to herald the coming 
of another striker in the shape of Carlton Cole, the 
18-year-old making his full home debut and of whom great 
things are expected down the Fulham Road.

Cole, a big, physical west-London boy with impressive poise 
and balance, had been given his chance because of the injury 
to Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink and he could have easily had a 
hat-trick in the first 45 minutes with alittle more 
composure.

That will no doubt come as he matures.

As it happens the opening goal came in the 21st minute from 
a pretty familiar Graham Taylor route.

Persistent work by Vassell won a corner which was taken by 
former England man Steve Stone, who floated the ball high into 
the Chelsea penalty area.

Up leapt Crouch, making a good old-fashioned nuisance of 
himself, to head the ball down and past Cudicini into the 
Chelsea net - and no-one could deny that the Villa were not 
good value for that lead.

In a search for extra penetration Ranieri made a three-way 
substitution at half-time bringing on Eidur Gudjohnsen for 
Gronkjaer, Sam Dalla Bona forBoudewijn Zenden and 17-year-old 
Robert Huth to make his debut in place of Graeme le Saux.

No matter, Villa soon made it two, Steve Stone sending in a 
swirling cross in the 64th minute and Vassell steaming in at 
the far post to strike a left-foot volley past Cudicini with 
some style.

In the 70th minute Chelsea got back in the game courtesy of 
a penalty.

Villa fullback Delaney appeared to pull back Dalla Bona as 
the Chelsea midfielder attempted to wriggle through a crowded 
area.

Referee Bennett pointed to the spot and Gudjohnsen stepped 
up to smash a left-foot shot past Enckelman. It was more than 
Chelsea deserved and it would have been a travesty if they had 
equalised.

As it was Taylor threw on Dion Dublin for the last six 
minutes and he soon made his presence felt, rising to prod 
home a close-range header with just two minutes remaining.

Somewhat incongruously the Chelsea team at the end set off 
on a lap of honour, which was as inappropriate as it was 
ill-timed.

It did at least thank their fans for standing by them in 
another season of frustration.

For Vassell, however, the season is not over. There may be 
much greater times to come.