Cometh the hour cometh the Rocket Man

Pity the Villa fans caught in the middle of a three car pile-up just shy of junction 16 on the M6 at around 11.30am.

Not only did they lose the roof of their car, the fire service had kindly removed that to get them out, but they also missed a four goal thrashing of Wigan.

Would they be more upset about the car or the loss of an away trip?

The M6 was a car park for an hour. There was the sight of Villa fans walking up the carriageway for a chat with other football supporters. Stoke fans were on their way to Manchester. Don't suppose their conversation was anything other than a few grunts about how good Thomas Sorensen has become.

I arrived in sunshine. It was weather that by the second half would become sheeting rain.

All the pre-match talk was of John Carew. Woud he start, or would his punishment for being in a lap dance bar in the early hours of the morning before the Ajax game continue?

Much of the talk centered around the Villa supporter who took the trouble to phone a local newspaper on Thursday evening with details of Carew's rendevous.

The general consensus was the the fella might be lucky to escape an ear-bashing from one or two fans.

It was all good pre-match banter. His main concern, according to his fellow travelling fans, might be if Carew found out his identity. He'd put his windows in... if he was lucky.

His secret will remain safe with me. I wonder if he snitches on his mates if they smoke at work?

Carew spent the first half sat stoney-faced on the bench, looking somewhere in the vicinity of a blow-up inflatable doll in the middle of the 4,000 away fans.

"Get your bits out for Carew", I am sure they were singing en-mass, although I may have been mistaken.

We all know what happened in that second half. Villa were under enormous pressure but soaked it up and hit Wigan with a quickfire double. Pandemonium broke out amongst delirious Villa fans.#

Steve Sidwell wrapped things up.

Then the post-match interviews. No Carew I'm afraid. Don't think he'll be speaking for a while.

He was silly, of course. He should never have been out, and definitely not in Broad Street, and certainly not before a match. There are mitigating circumstances I know. He was ill and wasn't due to be playing. And he wasn't drinking.

Anyway, top awards go to Sidwell, James Milner and Martin O'Neill for their post-match humour.

Sidwell reckoned the whole squad wouild be going to the lap dance bar before the Blackburn game if it had that effect on their performances.

Milner tried a sneaky one. "John always trains hard, even when it's cold and he's got his hat and gloves on and he's a bit stiff....." Nice one James.... saw that a mile off. You might have gotten away with it if you weren't giggling so.

And to O'Neill: "I'd love to have done the same but there is the age gap!", he told reporters. "I used to do it, but they weren't 'lap' bars then."

All good natured. A sound performance if not spectacular on the pitch and an unbelievably good result which sets them up nicely for Rovers on Wednesday.

Won't be there myself. Just about to get the train to London. My five year-old is bursting to see the Doctor Who exhibition.

"Exterminate" is exactly how Carew is feeling right now. Two people are in his sights, neither of them are currently manager of Aston Villa FC.