Villa 2 Albion 1 - the Swain Game

Which is more probable – Villa nailing down that breakthrough finish in the top four or Albion surviving for another Premier League campaign?

The smart money would back Villa's quest as the more probable, even though Martin O'Neill's team does not always look like one destined for the Champions League, just as Tony Mowbray's rarely play like the worst in the division.

But their respective points totals tell us otherwise and there is no doubt Albion's prospects would improve immeasurably, if they could just inject into their make-up a small percentage of Villa's ability to deliver match-winning moments from the fragments of any game.

Much was made in the immediate aftermath of Villa's 73rd victory in this ancient fixture of Mowbray's view of the teams' contrasting styles.

At their very best, Villa are a thrilling, pacy force with the ability to deliver into the opposition area, crosses of menacing precision from which goals flow, their Boxing Day performance against Arsenal was one of the best delivered by any Villa side of this Premier League age.

But a fair chunk of the points which have put them on the launch pad of Champions League riches come from their pragmatism – steel, discipline, stubborness and patience in the knowledge that their counter-attacking can slice open any team in the blink of an eye.

In fairness to a manager who has sometimes been guilty of lecturing teams who have beaten his on why they don't deserve to, Mowbray was not taking a dig at O'Neill's methods. Far from it.

"I like Martin O'Neill, I always enjoy talking with him, I like the way his teams play," Mowbray said, as he dissected their counter-attacking style against his team's preference for passing.

"But we are a good footballing team and if Villa are a top four side, when we are playing away, I don't think we should overly concern ourselves that we are not good enough to play in this league. I enjoy watching my team."

It is important that the majority of the Albion fans feel the same way and I think at this stage they still do.

They would have enjoyed the way the Baggies produced a spirited second half response, as much as they doubtless winced yet again at the flimsy defending which gave Villa a half-time lead through Curtis Davies and a Scott Carson own goal.

They didn't leave Villa Park without a little shaft of sunlight brightening their outlook. It may be too much to make of one performance but the debut of loanee Jay Simpson inevitably had Albion fans wondering if they had found a Kieran Richardson - architect of the Great Escape I - for this year's intended sequel.

Simpson gave some real thrust and dynamism to Albion, especially when he was joined by Roman Bednar for a second half ignited by another goal from the excellent James Morrison, coolly executed after good work from the substitute.

Mind you, Albion could sign Fabregas, Van Persie and Adebayor and it would still do them no good if they continue to defend like Compo, Foggy and Clegg.

Villa struggled to get a kick of the ball for the first 18 minutes but the moment they broke away to force their first corner, every Baggies fan had an impending sense of doom.

Sure enough, Gareth Barry's first cross produced two Steve Sidwell headers cleared off the line but his second saw old boy Davies pop round Paul Robinson to score.

Goalkeeper Carson then came in for flak for allowing an Agbonlahor shot to cannon off his arm into goal – but give the poor lad a break.

He had every right to expect any one of five defenders to shut off Agbonlahor's path to goal from out wide before he was exposed to this mishap.

Mowbray opted, amid some controversy, to bring back Robinson for Marek Cech but the performance of both his full-backs, admittedly in an area where Villa are so strong through James Milner and Ashley Young, was worrying too.

It's tough losing at lunchtime before all your rivals have played but, other than staying bottom for the ninth week running, Albion still got out of the weekend with no real harm done.

Okay, so Stoke and Middlesbrough nicked a point each – but Bolton's slump continues and Tottenham are right back in it after a last minute defeat at Wigan Athletic.

Now comes a weekend of maximum opportunity, which will be made more difficult if Albion spend the week beating themselves up over another defeat to a team they haven't defeated since 1985.

Mowbray hates talking about "must win" games but that might be difficult in the build up to Middlesbrough's visit to the Hawthorns. It comes on the same day Stoke are at Chelsea, Bolton tackle Manchester United and Blackburn and Newcastle attempt to cut each other's throats at Ewood.

Having mercilessly cuffed Albion's challenge this season, it would now be nice to see Villa doing them a favour at Sunderland, one of the Premier League's bottom 10 clubs which are separated by just five points.

That would further service O'Neill's designs on a top four finish, designs strengthened by the powerful return of Martin Laursen – quicker than expected – from injury and the continuing penetration of Young's exhilarating wing play.

Most of all, O'Neill's entire managerial career signposts a man who just knows how to win games. It is that substance which has always out-weighed carping from the opposition about his teams' style.

How Albion could do with a little of that knack for the next four months.