Gregory: I'll keep faith with Angel

It was a familiar story for Juan Pablo Angel at Villa Park. No goals, barely the whiff of a chance, and then humiliating substitution for the fourth time in five appearances.

The 26-year-old Colombian, signed amid enormous hype for a club-record £9.5million, was mundane at best as Villa and Middlesbrough fought out a drab 1-1 draw.

But the post-match disclosures by Villa manager John Gregory offered an explanation. 'He has had a diabolical week,' said Gregory. 'His wife, Paula, has been in hospital for an operation and he's had to look after their three-week-old son, Geronimo. He has spent two nights snatching what sleep he could at his wife's bedside. I offered to rest him but he kept insisting: "No problemo, I want to play. I must playî.

'I will give him time to acclimatise - until the start of next season if necessary.' Steve Stone headed Villa into a 38th-minute lead from Steve Staunton's corner but Boro had a carbon-copy equaliser in the 49th minute when Ugo Ehiogu added the finishing touch to a delivery from Keith O'Neill.

Terry Venables declared himself satisfied with a point. 'Sometimes if you go looking for a win, you end up with nothing.This unbeaten run has given us something to build on,' said Boro's coach.