Dublin leaves Boro with another long trip home

Aston Villa 1 Middlesbrough

Steve McClaren said that Middlesbrough's away form was causing him to tear his hair out. At this rate he will soon look like his first managerial mentor, Jim Smith, better known as the "Bald Eagle".

His cause – the Teessiders have lost eight out of 10 away League games – was not helped by another harsh refereeing decision by Rob Styles, who sent off Mark Wilson for two bookable offences in the first half-hour. For Styles, that is 12 games, five red cards and 53 cautions. Maybe he should start talking to the players during the game.

After the morale-boosting but energy-sapping Boxing Day victory over Manchester United, playing with 10 men for 65 minutes was the last thing Boro needed. "It was very frustrating. I don't think there was a dirty tackle in the game and I think that common sense has to come into it," McClaren said. At half-time he had to be pulled away as he protested to Styles.

The result was vital for Villa, sliding towards the relegation zone and starting to be tipped for the drop. Manager Graham Taylor acknowledged as much, admitting his players are struggling. "The players are very much aware of the position the club are in. They were very nervous," he said.

Taylor is also facing an injury crisis and now has nine first-team players out. He lost two more yesterday with Moustapha Hadji limping off after just two minutes and Ronnie Johnsen not coming out after the break. He gave a debut at full-back to Rob Edwards, who was 20 on Christmas Day, and 16-year-old striker Luke Moore was among the substitutes. With two more games this week, Taylor will be wondering how he can field 11 players, though he can bring back captain Steve Staunton and Lee Hendrie, who were both suspended.

Victory owed much to the revitalised striking partnership of Dion Dublin and Juan Pablo Angel, included after Darius Vassell was taken ill overnight. They combined to score after 10 minutes, Angel cutting inside to pick out Dublin with a cross. The veteran volleyed over Mark Schwarzer as Wilson attempted to clear. It was his eighth goal of the season and he clearly relished playing against former Villa defenders Gareth Southgate, in his 400th League appearance, and Ugo Ehiogu. It was an uncomfortable afternoon for them both and they were booed throughout.

Dublin almost added a second after 37 minutes, flicking a right boot at Gareth Barry's cross only for Schwarzer to tip over. The Australian goalkeeper also saved a 25-yard shot from Barry, who excelled down Villa's left. After the break, the home side continued to press home the advantage and Angel saw his header calmly chested off the line by Stuart Parnaby, while Barry twice failed to pick out his strikers when put through on the left of the box.

An increasingly agitated McClaren, persistently warned by the fourth official for encroaching on the pitch, made a double substitution after 56 minutes, bringing on Noel Whelan and Tony Vidmar and switching to a defensive three, to try to prevent his 10 men from being swamped.

The change worked with Villa almost paying for their nervousness as the visitors pushed forward in the final quarter. They should have equalised on 77 minutes when Vidmar's header was chested off the line straight to Ehiogu, who ballooned his shot over. But it was not enough.

Aston Villa 1 Middlesbrough 0
Dublin 11

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 33,637