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Cash’s wickedly deflected shot enough to see Villa through
Aston Villa's Matty Cash celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, January 6, 2024
Middlesbrough 0-1 Aston Villa
by Roger Domeneghetti
at Riverside Stadium
THE LAST time Villa beat Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, in 1957, they went on to win to lift the trophy.
Although this was not a vintage, cup-winning performance from Unai Emery’s team, it was, thanks to Matty Cash’s wickedly deflected shot, enough to see them progress to the fourth round for the first time since 2016.
Prior to kick-off, it was hard to know what this competition meant to either side, and thus how they would approach the game.
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