Burton 1 Aston Villa 1 - Report

Jonathan Kodjia looked to have put Steve Bruce's team on course for a fifth straight win when he fired them in front inside three minutes at the Pirelli Stadium.

But the top scorer was then forced off by injury before the break and former Villa youth teamer Lloyd Dyer deservedly hauled the Brewers level in the second half.

Substitute Lucas Akins then went close to winning it for the hosts with a shot which clipped the woodwork.

Analysis

Victory would not have been underserved for Nigel Clough's team, who were the better team for much of the 90 minutes.

For the second time in the space of four days Villa were handed the perfect start by Kodjia but failed to build on it.

Whereas against QPR on Tuesday night they were able to hold out, here they were breached as Dyer struck just past the hour mark to end their run of four consecutive clean sheets.

The draw leaves Villa nine points behind the top six and with just five games to play, their chances of closing the gap are now surely over.

Bruce named an unchanged starting XI from the one which defeated QPR 1-0 on Tuesday night, with the only change to the matchday 18 seeing Gary Gardner replace Andre Green on the bench.

Kodjia had put Villa ahead inside five minutes in midweek and was even quicker off the mark here, after being gifted the chance by Turner's error.

Burton had proved tough to score against on their own turf before conceding five against Brentford the last time out at home.

And it was easy to see how that might have happened when Turner under-hit his backpass into the path of Kodjia, allowing the striker to race clear and finish past McLaughlin.

It was the perfect start but just like in midweek, Villa struggled to build on the early platform and though visiting keeper Sam Johnstone remained untested, there were enough nervy moments for Bruce to be off the bench and yelling at this team.

Marvin Sordell was proving a particular handful down the right and delivered one cross which was just too far in front of Cauley Woodrow and another which James Chester hacked clear with Dyer lurking.

Villa were giving away possession far too easily and suffered a setback with ten minutes of the half remaining when Kodjia was forced off by injury, to be replaced by Scott Hogan.

They were fortunate to hold their advantage until the break when Kightly turned Dyer's cross onto the post after a counter-attack, with Neil Taylor being in the right place to hack clear the rebound.

Villa were marginally brighter in the early stages of the second half but it was still Burton enjoying the better of it. The final ball was frequently their downfall and when Michael Kightly showed quick feet to get past Taylor, Sordell planted his header over the bar.

Just past the hour mark, Dyer made no mistake to bring the hosts deservedly level. His finish, after latching on to Kyle McFadzean's ball over the top, could not have been better struck, flying into the top corner past Johnstone. It was the first goal Villa had conceded in nearly 450 minutes of football.

Bruce introduced both Jack Grealish and Conor Hourihane in an attempt to spark his team. The latter drove a shot straight at McLaughlin has Villa finally began to look a little more comfortable in possession.

Still it was Burton looking more dangerous and substitute Akins was within inches of a second goal with a shot which clipped the bar.

Leandro Bacuna then might have snatched it for Villa in stoppage time when he beat keeper McLaughlin to a ball over the top but Turner was in the right place to block his shot.

Key moments

3 - GOAL The perfect start for Villa as Jonathan Kodjia scores his 19th of the season to put them ahead. The striker pounced on Ben Turner's backpass before firing past Jon McLaughlin in the Burton goal.

36 A real blow to Villa as Kodjia is forced off through injury. Scott Hogan replaces him from the bench.

42 - Burton come within inches of a leveller when Michael Kightly turns Lloyd Dyer's cross onto the post after a lightning break.

61 - GOAL Former Villa youth teamer Lloyd Dyer pulls the hosts deservedly level. Kyle McFadzean chips the ball over the top and Dyer hammers a finish past Sam Johnstone.

Teams

Burton (3-5-2): McLaughlin, Brayford, McFadzean, Turner, Flanagan, Murphy, Irvine, Kightly (Mousinho 80), Dyer, Woodrow (Akins 71), Sordell (Varney 85) Subs not used: McCrory, Naylor, Miller, Bywater (gk).

Villa (4-1-4-1): Johnstone, Hutton, Chester (c), Baker, Taylor, Jedinak, Adomah (Hourihane 65), Bacuna, Lansbury (Grealish 65), Amavi, Kodjia (Hogan 36) Subs not used: Elphick, Bree, Gardner, Bunn (gk).