ROY KEANE PROWLED the touchline at the Brittania Stadium, ably assisting Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert and his imposing character (complete with shaggy beard) certainly had the desired effect.
Andreas Weimann scored the game’s only goal as Villa made a winning start to the new season with a 1-0 victory at Stoke City, in what was a clinical display.
The Austrian struck in the 50th minute, drilling a shot through Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic to give Villa a first away win in the league since a New Year’s Day success at Sunderland.
Elsewhere, a James Chester goal and a missed penalty by Charlie Austin combined to give Hull City a 1-0 win to start the season away to newly-promoted Queen’s Park Rangers.
Former Manchester United defender Chester, who opened the scoring for Hull in May’s FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal at Wembley, repeated the trick at Loftus Road when he got the better of Rio Ferdinand to head home a Stephen Quinn corner in the 52nd minute.
It was a soft goal for QPR to concede, and it proved sufficient to hand Hull their first victory at Loftus Road since 1963, when both teams were in the third tier.
Referee Craig Pawson awarded the hosts a penalty when Chester was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area in the 83rd minute, but goalleeper Allan McGregor saved Austin’s poor spot-kick.
Meanwhile, at the Hawthorns, Seb Larsson snatched a late equaliser to earn Sunderland a 2-2 draw with West Brom to deny Alan Irvine a winning start in his first match as the Baggies’ new boss.
Lee Cattermole struck a spectacular opening goal to put Sunderland ahead after just five minutes but England Under-21 striker Saido Berahino levelled from the penalty spot just prior to half-time before netting his second on 74 minutes.
However, Larsson slotted home a low cross from Patrick van Aanholt five minutes from time to earn the Black Cats a share of the spoils.
