Aston Villa and Everton Draw a Six-Goal Thriller

Aston Villa 3 - Everton 3 (Premier League, Apr. 12, 2009) Aston Villa were prised open early on by Everton as Jo and then Leighton Baines troubled the home defence with Marouane Fellaini eventually tapping the ball over the line.

Twenty-two minutes in and it was two-nil to the Toffees, Tim Cahill (foul on Davies?) followed up his own header then rebounded off the bar to nod in the visitors’ second following a corner.

Villa got back into the game after the half hour, Milner put a ball into the box which Everton failed to clear and John Carew was on hand to sweep the ball into the net. (First half highlights here.)

Everton stretched their lead at the start of the second half, Steven Pienaar collected a ball with his back to goal outside the box, the South African rolled Luke Young and then he bent a beauty past Freidel.

Sixty seconds later Villa hit back, James Milner scoring a screamer of his own curling a free-kick around the wall. With the wind in their sails Villa drew level in the 66th minute, Petrov was adjudged to have been felled by Lescott in the box (harsh decision) and Gareth Barry made no mistake from the spot to equalise.

Preston 0 - Blackpool 1 (Championship, Apr. 11, 2009) Blackpool gave their survival hopes a major lift as Charlie Adam struck just before half-time to secure a narrow success at Preston which dents the hosts’ play-off chances.

Swansea 2 - Norwich 1 (Championship, Apr. 11, 2009) Jason Scotland saw his first half goal cancelled out by Alan Lee’s header moments later, but Scotland took his season’s tally to 23 with a second half penalty.

Burnley 1 - QPR 0 (Championship, Apr. 11, 2009) Burnley consolidated their top six position after Clarke Carlisle found the net early in the second half at Turf Moor.

Crystal Palace 0 - Cardiff 2 (Championship, Apr. 11, 2009) A Ross McCormack double, the first from the penalty spot, keeps Cardiff’s promotion hopes very much alive.

Leeds 1 - Stockport 0 (League One, Apr. 11, 2009) Leeds got back to winning ways in their push for the play-offs, Jonny Howson’s early goal was enough to give Simon Grayson’s side the points.

Peterborough 1 - Cheltenham 1 (League One, Apr. 11, 2009) Top of the table Posh took on rock-bottom Cheltenham and the visitors earned an unlikely draw. Aaron McLean’s 36th minute effort put the home side ahead, however David Hutton levelled matters soon after the hour mark to secure a point.

Gonzalo Higuain beat two Valladolid defenders on the right hand touchline before crossing to Raul who steered Los Blancos into a halftime lead.

Reggina 0 - Udinese 2 (Serie A, Apr. 12, 2009) After a goalless first half, Reggina had Lanzaro sent off early in second period but from the resulting penalty Maurizio Domizzi skied his effort embarrassingly over the bar.

Reggina then were reduced to nine-men when Barilla saw red but it wasn’t until the final five minutes that Udinese capitalised, Antonio Floro Flores grabbing a late late brace (85 & 90 minutes) for the Zebrette.

A brilliant strike from Tranquillo Barnetta that rocketed in off the underside of the bar gave Bayer Leverkusen the lead over Bremen. Claudio Pizzarro brought Werder level with a header in the 33rd minute.

Ajax 7 - Willem II 0 (Eredivisie, Apr. 12, 2009) Ajax raced out the blocks against Willem II, Dario Cvitanich playing a one-two on the edge of the visitors’ box before firing the hosts ahead after just two minutes.

Eight minutes later the lead was doubled, Eyong Enoh finding himself unmarked by the penalty spot and able to convert a free header.

Ten minutes later it was three thanks to Dario Cvitanich’s second of the game, yet another free header in the box. With the floodgates open, Luis Suarez added a fourth with a penalty before Urby Emanuelson netted a humiliating fifth on the stroke of halftime.

After the break Luis Suarez cracked in a fine sixth before Suarez completed his hat-trick with his second penalty of the game.

Feyenoord 5 - Heracles 1 (Eredivisie, Apr. 12, 2009) Feyenoord scored after 4 minutes against Heracles, the visitors’ keeper clattered into his own defender when trying, and failing, to claim a cross, allowing Roy Makaay to head into an empty net. Midway through the half Feyenoord grabbed a second, Leroy Fer teeing up Roy Makaay for his brace. Bas Dost pulled a goal back for Heracles after a period of patient build-up.

Leixoes 1 - Rio Ave 0 (Superliga, Apr. 11, 2009) Diogo Valente’s 48th minute goal gave Leixoes victory over last-place Rio Ave to snap a four-game losing streak.

Belenenses 2 - Vitoria Setubal 1 (Superliga, Apr. 11, 2009) Goals in the first nine minutes from Edson Marcelo de Faria and Rodrigues Saulo gave Belenenses a 2-1 win over 10-man Vitoria Setubal in a battle between two strugglers.

CSKA Moscow 4 - Lokomotiv Moscow 1 (Russian Premier League, Apr. 12, 2009) CSKA took the lead in the 35th minute through Alan Dzagoev’s beautifully curled free-kick.

Yuri Zhirkov fired in the hosts’ second early in the second half before Alan Dzagoev claimed his second of the match with a free header in the Lokomotiv box. Marko Basa pulled a goal back for the visitors before Yuva Musa Mazu slid home CSKA’s fourth.

Kapfenberg 0 - FC Salzburg 2 (T-Mobile Bundesliga, Apr. 11, 2009) The visitors took just three minutes to find the target through Marc Janko with Karel Pitak adding the second after 48 minutes.

Vojvodina 0 - Partizan Belgrade 2 (Serbian Super Liga, Apr. 12, 2009)

Nagoya Grampus Eight 0 - Urawa Red Diamonds 1 (J-League, Apr. 12, 2009)