Shay Given admits it's desperate at Aston Villa as they prepare to face Bolton The situation could have been even bleaker if Sunderland had not been controversially denied a Nicklas Bendtner goal for offside. That would have added to the pressure on a Villa team who, in this match, lost James Collins and Gabriel Agbonlahor to leg and shoulder injuries respectively. "You can blame our position on injuries to key players, like Richard Dunne and Darren Bent," said Given. They are very experienced players and we are relying on very young players, who are coming in with big pressure on their shoulders. It is just about not letting the tension affect us because everyone is frustrated. I wouldn't like it to go to the final day but you never know. Plenty of things have gone against us in the last six months. One of the things that went against Villa, in pre-season, was the departure of former manager Martin O'Neill, who was booed here. The Northern Irishman said: "I think I will always have regret at how it ended for me at Villa. And if, (referee) Phil Dowd had done the job properly, we would have won the 2010 League Cup final. He has obviously been rewarded with the FA Cup final this year. Well done to him. But O'Neill should be looking forward excitedly about his vibrant, new side rather than reflecting regretfully. "We should have scored six or seven here," he claimed. I think, some of the chances we missed, I could have scored myself. Regarding Bendtner's disallowed effort, Sunderland defender Matt Kilgallon said: "It was a goal. I have watched that again and he wasn't offside. He is encouraged by their progress though, adding: "One day we are going to give someone a good hiding." Stephane Sessegnon was typically eye-catching here and Kilgallon said: "He is a little magician. When you train with him, he goes around you and he's spun your T-shirt back to front; your clothes are on the wrong way round. Out-of-form Villa can only dream of that sort of magic tomorrow.