aston villa 1 v 2 norwich

The last game of the regular season is at home to Norwich. With a play-off spot already secured, manager Dean Smith chooses to rest Tyrone Mings, Tammy Abraham, Jack Grealish, John McGinn and Ahmed Elmohamady.

Elmo makes way for Alan Hutton who is given the captain's armband in recognition of his service and dedication to the cause. In all likelihood it will be his final match in a Villa shirt. 

Norwich draw first blood with a well-worked goal in the seventh minute by Finnish forward, Teemu Pukki, the Championship's leading scorer this season. Villa strike back with an equally well-worked equaliser by Jonathan Kodjia his third in four games. And so the teams go in level at half-time.

The second half proves equally entertaining with both teams going for the winner. Fittingly, it's Norwich who score with just a few minutes left to play, the goal coming from a low shot by Mario Vrancic.  It secures the Championship title deservedly for the Canaries, who have had a marvelous season. Let's just hope we can join them in the Premiership via the forthcoming play-offs!

the build up ...

 

rainy day, dream away

The homework this week for my MAC group is 'Street Photography', a genre I adore.  People - their face, their bodies, their speech, their mannerisms - are utterly fascinating. Everyone has a special story to tell as I discovered yet again during a brief foray onto the rain-soaked streets of Solihull.

Along the way I met a lady getting ready for her son's marriage in Cardiff, a young woman due to give birth to her first child any day now, a gentleman sipping a cup of coffee who wanted to talk about his new camera and a Big Issue seller.

Is this street photography or street portraiture? I neither know nor care - but what I am sure is that I was blessed to hear all these wonderful stories and take a few idle snaps. Hope you enjoy them.