Barry scores for Villa in UEFA Cup but he could still sign for Liverpool

Gareth Barry scored as Aston Villa won 4-1 at FH Hafnarfjordur in the UEFA Cup , seemingly ending his hopes of a move to Liverpool.  

The former Villa skipper has been a target for Liverpool all summer and lost the captaincy for criticising Villa boss Martin O'Neill's handling of the move.  

It's there: Gareth Barry celebrates his goal

However, Villa insisted recently the deal was off after Liverpool failed to meet their deadline, and his presence in tonight's line-up means he would be cup-tied for the Champions League group stages should he join the Reds this month.  

O'Neill insisted the England midfielder was keen to play. 'He's our player, and he wanted to play in the game, and we think he's mentally tuned into it so that's all that matters," he said.

However, the Villa boss admits the latest development does not necessarily rule out a
move to Merseyside for the player.

He added: 'I wouldn't be particularly sure until the transfer deadline passes
what might materialise, so we'll see.'

Nicky Shorey was handed his competitive debut at left-back while Marlon Harewood started up front in Reykjavik.

Like Shorey, Brad Friedel made his first start in a competitive fixture while
Curtis Davies completed his remarkable recovery from an Achilles tendon injury
by starting alongside Martin Laursen in defence.

However, Norway international striker John Carew missed out with a slight calf
strain.

In front of watching England coach Fabio Capello in Reykjavik, Barry capitalised on some terrible defending to stab Villa's opener in the fourth minute.

Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor also scored first-half goals at the
Laugardalsvollur Stadium and although Matthias Gudmundsson pulled one back,
Martin Laursen's second-half header secured his side a comfortable lead to take
back to Villa Park.

The Icelanders started positively but were soon pegged back by Ashley Young as
his trickery on the left resulted in a corner.

Great start: Gareth Barry fires Villa ahead

When Hafnarfjordur failed to clear the corner, Young whipped the ball back into
the box and some calamitous defending left Barry with a simple task to power the
ball past goalkeeper Gunnar Sigurdsson from close range.

Young quickly made it 2-0 with a delightful individual effort. Finding himself
in space on the left he moved inside unopposed before turning a defender and
side-footing the ball in off the post to double the lead after seven minutes.

After the initial excitement the match soon calmed down, with Villa looking
unsurprisingly comfortable against last season's Icelandic Cup winners.

However, some sloppy play by Shorey in the 19th minute gifted the ball to the
hosts only for Matthias Gudmundsson to waste the opportunity.

Hafnarfjordur wasted their best chance in the 27th minute when Atli Gudnason
was picked out expertly by Dennis Siim but headed wastefully over.

They were given another good opportunity in the 32nd minute.

Bjorn Sverrisson threaded the ball into the area well and Matthias Gudmundsson
was unfortunate to see his effort blocked well by Davies. Matthias Vihjalmsson
then wasted the rebound by firing over the bar.

Villa then pushed their hosts back with a nice move culminating in Young's
curling effort going harmlessly over.

Agbonlahor matched Young's strike with a similarly silky solo goal seven
minutes before the break.

Picking the ball up from deep he charged forward and showed determination to
round two defenders before beating Sigurdsson with a cool finish.

In the closing stages of the half Harewood found himself through on goal in
space but wasted the one-on-one opportunity as Sigurdsson saved.

Hafnarfjordur then got the goal they probably deserved as Matthias Gudmundsson
stooped to head home Tryggvi Gudmundsson's cross from the left.

The first significant action of the second half saw Barry booked in the 55th
minute for bringing down Bjorn Sverrisson just outside the box as he broke
forward at pace, though Siim's free-kick was blocked.

Harewood forced a corner at the other end as he outmuscled centre-half Hjortur
Valgardsson but saw his shot parried.

Barry nearly scored again with a header, but from Ashley Young's right-footed
cross the midfielder could only steer the ball inches over the bar.

Another corner was won by Villa in the 63rd minute and Martin Laursen
capitalised to make it 4-1 - with the influential Young providing the cross from
the set-piece.

As Young lifted the corner into the area, the classy Danish defender found
himself in space to nod home.

In the meantime Gunnar Asgeirsson replaced David Vidarsson while for Villa,
Stiliyan Petrov's quiet involvement was ended as he was replaced by Moustapha
Salifou.

And substitute Asgeirsson came close to scoring with a bobbling long-range shot
which Friedel did well to get his fingers to.Villa extended their lead when Martin Laursen netted on 64 minutes.

The effervescent Young, who was Villa's most potent creative force by some
margin, was taken off and replaced by Wayne Routledge in the 71st minute.

Both sides made further changes in the last 15 minutes, with Agbonlahor making
way for Nathan Delfouneso, and a series of half-chances were exchanged at each
end - with neither goalkeeper troubled until Routledge's 85th-minute volley.

Barry's canny run into space on the left allowed him to receive the ball and
cross right-footed for Routledge to take his time and shoot on the bounce, only
for Sigurdsson to save well.