Aston Villa have beaten Middlesbrough 0-1 in their FA Cup Round 3 match at Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, and will now progress to the fourth round.
Aston Villa secured their first FA Cup win since 2016 with a late 87th-minute goal from Matty Cash against Middlesbrough. The match seemed headed for a replay until Cash’s shot from outside the box, which took a significant deflection, beat Middlesbrough’s Australian goalkeeper Tom Glover.
Glover had previously made several saves to deny Villa’s attacks, particularly from young Colombian forward Jhon Duran and captain John McGinn. Villa also hit the post through Ezri Konsa’s header before Cash, the Polish full-back, finally broke the deadlock with his fourth goal of the season across three different competitions.
Middlesbrough, a Championship club, had a solid cup run this season, reaching the Carabao Cup semi-finals. They managed only one shot on target against Villa, which was saved by Emiliano Martinez.
The game had a controversial moment when Villa appealed for a penalty for a foul on Moreno, but with no VAR at non-Premier League grounds, the game continued.
The goal came from an assist by substitute Douglas Luiz, bringing relief to Villa’s manager Unai Emery and the team, especially after their previous eight FA Cup matches ended in defeat. Villa had been knocked out by League Two Stevenage last season but now look forward to a fourth-round tie for the first time since 2016.
Despite starting key player Ollie Watkins on the bench, Villa fielded a strong side. Substitutes Nicolo Zaniolo and Watkins contributed significantly in the final minutes, with Zaniolo nearly scoring before Cash’s decisive goal.
Cash’s goal added to his season tally, which includes two in the Premier League and one in the Europa Conference League.
