Villa Park has seen some remarkable contests this season but nothing on this scale. Sheffield United were 3-0 up gone 80 minutes and heading for Championship top spot courtesy of a Billy Sharp hat-trick.
Then, with no indication of what was to come, Villa rose from the dead to snatch a draw and puncture the momentum gathering behind Chris Wilder’s team.
The final goal came in the fourth and penultimate minute of stoppage time. By now, after two goals in quick succession, the stadium was brimming in hope. The noise rose as Anwar El Ghazi wriggled past Enda Stevens to cross, and bedlam erupted when Andre Green headed in at the far post.
Dean Smith turned to the stands with fists clenched in joy. John Terry leapt onto the back off his coaching colleague.
One message should be stamped on the entrance to this ground: Never leave early. There has been late drama in the 5-5 against Nottingham Forest, the 3-3 with Preston and the 3-2 loss to Leeds. This was from the realms of fantasy however.
Wilder’s team had been good value for their apparent victory, which would have taken them above Norwich on goal difference. Three days on from turning 33 Sharp had struck a hat-trick of pristine poaching, taking his personal tally for this club to 101 and becoming the first Championship striker to pass 20 goals. He now has 22 for the campaign.
Abraham followed him later, becoming the first Villa player to score 20 league goals in a season since Peter Withe in 1980-81. It was also the eighth consecutive home game Abraham had netted.
For large periods Villa badly floundered but the character of their fightback will provide huge inspiration for Smith that his team can yet make the play-offs.
For the majority Wilder’s team were excellent, a coherent unit fully attuned to the manager’s style.
Their scoring began in the 11th minute. Oliver Norwood hit a deep corner that was nodded back by Gary Madine. Sharp moved imperceptibly into space and swept a low finish towards goal. Abraham tried to clear on the line but the ball had already crossed.
Sharp’s second came in the 53rd minute. Kieran Dowell shot from distance and Lovre Kalinic palmed out. Sharp had gone for the ball from an offside position and was still there when Madine headed the rebound against the post. Kalinic grabbed the ball but Sharp prodded it over the line.
Villa were incensed, insisting Kalinic had control of the ball. They were also angered referee Tony Harrington failed to award a foul by Chris Basham on Jonathan Kodjia at the other end. Basham had already been booked and quite possibly could have been sent off.
There was nothing wrong with Sharp’s third. Dowell’s cross took a deflection off Tyrone Mings and Sharp nodded in at the far post.
It looked like game over, and Sharp was taken off. But Mings provided a crumb of comfort with what appeared a consolation on 82 minutes. He leapt highest from Conor Hourihane’s corner to head past Dean Henderson.
And when Abraham tapped in on 86 minutes, after Henderson had only pushed out Tommy Elphick’s low drive, the comeback was on.
Green applied the finishing touch.
Sharp said: ‘I can’t quite believe it at the minute, 3-0 up with 10 minutes to go, we’ve got to do better, we’ve got to see the game out.
‘We’re trying to win the promotion and these are the games when you get in front, you’ve got to win the game.
‘If we’d have got three points, it would’ve been a great night. It took the shine off my hat-trick, I’d have rather have not scored and got the three points to go top.’
