Martin O'Neill salutes 'brave' Bennett over penalty

Martin O'Neill praised referee Steve Bennett for changing his mind after awarding Hull a penalty in Aston Villa's 1-0 win last night.

Bennett pointed to the spot after Ashley Young appeared to handle the ball in the box.

However, after fierce protests from Villa captain Gareth Barry and consulting his assistant, the official changed his decision.

Villa manager O'Neill said: "I've no idea why Ashley put his hand in the air. But the referee has been courageous to change his mind. It is a very brave decision."

The result saw Villa move above Arsenal in fourth place in the Premier League.

Villa's winner came in the 88th minute, when Kamil Zayatte diverted Young's cross into his own net.

The defeat left Hull boss Phil Brown fuming over the late spot-kick decision. He said: "It's beyond me whether it was a penalty or it wasn't - he's given it. A referee gives a penalty and then a linesman tells you it's not."