Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill was thrilled with the performances of Gabby Agbonlahor and Gareth Barry after their UEFA Cup victory over Ajax.

"(Agbonlahor) was fantastic," he said.

"It was a masterclass from one so young in playing that lone centre-forward role, a system we don't play too often.

"But if he played well then Gareth Barry was exceptional, with the idea at the start of the game for him to push on and join in.

"To do that you need someone who can hold it up, and I thought Agbonlahor's hold-up play was immense.

"Gareth managed to get up in support, and get beyond, and overall it was a big, big performance.

"But to win the game we needed some big performances, which we got. It was a thoroughly deserved win."