Barnsley 1 Aston Villa 1 - Report

For the fourth time this season Villa entered the final ten minutes leading by a single goal. For the fourth time this season, they ended up coming away with a solitary point.

Jordan Ayew's strike, just past the hour mark, looked to have earned a first away win in 14 months and three points which would have instantly eased the pressure which grows on boss Roberto Di Matteo's shoulders with every passing disappointment.

Instead substitute Sam Winnall's 90th minute header, after keeper Pierluigi Gollini had failed with an attempted punch clear, ensures scrutiny on the Italian's position will only intensify.

Villa have now drawn their last five games but, more importantly, thrown away 11 points due to late goals already this season and Di Matteo will take his team to Preston this Saturday in the knowledge his job may well be on the line.

In truth, Villa should have been comfortable winners after a second half they dominated, with Ayew and the returning Jack Grealish both hugely impressive. But once again an inability to kill off the opposition proved fatal.

Grealish was one of three changes to the team which started Saturday's 1-1 draw with Newcastle as Di Matteo abandoned a three-man backline

Aaron Tshibola, who scored his first goal in claret and blue to earn his team a point against the Magpies, was also restored to the starting line-up. Aly Cissokho meanwhile replaced Jordan Amavi, the latter joining Ashley Westwood and Nathan Baker in dropping to the bench.

Paul Heckingbottom's Barnsley have built a reputation for strong second half performances but almost took the lead inside the opening 15 minutes. James Chester was alert to clear when a mis-hit Conor Hourihane shot threatened to find its way to Bradshaw and then, as the hosts continued to press, Marc Roberts headed over from a corner.

Villa, with Grealish playing in an advanced central role, were struggling for cohesion and though Jonathan Kodjia did test home keeper Adam Davies with a dipping drive which the keeper gathered at the second attempt, it was the Tykes who looked the more dangerous team.

Bradshaw might have opened the scoring had he not lost his balance at the worst possible moment when attempting a strike from the edge of the box after Jedinak had been robbed off possession by the excellent Hourihane. The Tykes skipper then brought the first save of the game from Villa keeper Pierluigi Gollini with a rasping free-kick which the Italian was alert to palm away at the near post.

Briefly, Villa began to find some momentum and Jordan Ayew tested Davies with a fierce drive. But it was an all too rare foray into the opposition box and the visitors attacking efforts were rather summed up when a smart through ball from Grealish looked to have set Kodjia up for a strike at goal, only for the striker to completely lose his footing.

The Ivory Coast international almost responded in perfect fashion early in the second half but saw a low Cissokho cross taken off his toes by an alert Davies.

It marked the start of Villa's resurgence, who would surely have gone ahead had Albert Adomah been able to find Grealish with a simple pass after winning possession deep in the Barnsley half. Instead his cross was just too far ahead of the midfielder, with Tshibola then firing wide as the visitors finally began to ask some serious questions of their hosts.

The goal duly arrived just past the hour mark. Grealish, an increasing influence in proceedings, played in Kodjia and though Davies did superbly to stop the striker's rising drive, Ayew picked up the loose ball and with the home defence at sixes and sevens, cut inside before firing a fierce shot inside the near post.

Grealish might have made it two soon after but dawdled when given the chance to pull the trigger ten yards out. Heckingbottom introduced Sam Winnall and Adam Armstrong in an attempt to stem the flow and former might have found a leveller quickly, if not for a vital touch by Adomah to deflect an inviting cross behind.

Yet still it was Villa who continued to boss things and Kodjia was the latest to go close to increasing the lead when he sent a header from a corner straight into the arms of Davies.

It meant a nervy finish for the visitors as they clung on to the one-goal lead and for the fourth time this season their defence was breached at the death when Winnall headed in off the bar. Di Matteo was booed off by sections of the visiting support as he left the pitch, alone in his thoughts.

Barnsley (4-4-2): Davies, Yiadom, Roberts, MacDonald, Kpekawa, Kent, Scowen, Hourihane, Morsy (Armstrong 67), Watkins (Hammill 72), Bradshaw (Winnall 67) Subs not used: Jackson, Bree, Lee, Townsend (gk).

Villa (4-4-1-1): Gollini, Bacuna, Elphick, Chester, Cissokho, Adomah (Gestede 86), Jedinak, Tshibola (Westwood 75), Ayew Grealish, Kodjia Subs not used: Baker, Hutton, Amavi, McCormack, Bunn (gk).