Southgate officially furious after Villa snatch a point

Middlesbrough's manager was fuming with referee Steve Bennett after his decision to award Villa a spot-kick 18 minutes from time handed the hosts a draw they hardly merited.

Controversy erupted when Luke Young tried to block namesake Ashley's half-hit shot. He dived in to prevent Mark Schwarzer from being tested but was struck on the arm. The Kent official gave in to the increasingly desperate demands of the Holte End, leaving Barry to convert.

Coming within weeks of the row over Jeremie Aliadiere's sending-off at Liverpool, the incident was untimely. And it was unjust, given the levels to which Villa's performance sank last night, as O'Neill generously admitted afterwards.

Indeed, had Mido not tried to convert a Stewart Downing cross with the outside of his left foot, blazing wildly over from six yards with the goal gaping early in the second half, Bennett's decision would have proved irrelevant.

As it was, Southgate spoke through gritted teeth at the final whistle. Asked whether his policy of refusing to comment on referees was still in force, he replied: 'We will maintain it — although I do question whether it's helping us.

'I've seen the incident again. Luke has his back to the play. It's hit from a couple of yards away — whether that's good defending, I'm not sure — but I can't see how it's anything other than involuntary handball.

'I found a lot of decisions very strange. What's the point of me going on about it? We have to go through the right channels. It won't do us any good. The pictures are there for everyone to see.

'That said, I imagine it would be difficult to get through to Keith Hackett with everyone else on to him.'

Middlesbrough arrived at Villa Park with Southgate no doubt hoping for a reaction from their FA Cup quarter-final defeat against Cardiff.

By the halfway point in the opening period, Downing had done much to repair things, although it was poor defending from Zat Knight that afforded him the opportunity to shine.

The centre-half, who was recalled to Villa's side at the expense of the injured Curtis Davies, made a hash of a clearance and the leftwinger picked up the loose ball, hared past a static Knight and drilled a shot past Scott Carson that was too close to the keeper's legs for him to react in time.

Mido then cleared off the line as John Carew tried to profit from a goalmouth scramble.

Before Bennett's intervention, Villa were huffing and puffing, their inspiration having deserted them as they slipped seven points behind Liverpool and Everton, their rivals for a European place.

O'Neill was realistic about his side' performance.

He said: 'I won't hide the fact that we didn't play very well. I was disappointed with the first half.

'We never put Middlesbrough under any pressure. If we are going for Europe, we have to be winning matches.

'A point isn't enough. But we didn't deserve any more.'