Birmingham City 0 Aston Villa 0 - Report

Both teams were left to rue missed chances on an afternoon which featured plenty of brawn and occasional smatterings of skill.

Jota squandered Blues’s best opening when he blazed over clean through on goal.

Keinan Davis and Jonathan Kodjia then both hit the woodwork for Villa in the closing stages but neither team could find a winner.

Analysis

Davis and Kodjia both hit the bar within the space of three minutes as Villa finished the game strongly.

Steve Bruce’s men also started the game the brighter side but it was Blues who dominated the middle part of the game.

Jota and Sam Gallagher, who replaced the lively Isaac Vassell just before the break, both missed their chances to be derby heroes.

Home keeper Tomasz Kuszczak then denied Kodjia with a brilliant one-handed save as Villa began to turn the tide.

Bruce may feel his team should have won it with their late chances but in truth the draw was the fair result.

The Villa boss opted to keep the same starting line-up which defeated Fulham 2-1 in Villa’s previous league fixture, the only change to the matchday squad being the return of fit-again Mile Jedinak midfielder to the bench in place of youngster Callum O’Hare.

It was Villa who created the better of the early openings, Kodjia heading a Robert Snodgrass wide of goal inside the first 90 seconds.

Glenn Whelan also saw an effort deflected off target while John Terry headed straight at home keeper Kuszczak at a corner.

But it was Blues who gradually grew into the half and with the pace of Vassell they carried a constant threat.

The striker almost created a moment of acute embarrassment for Villa keeper Sam Johnstone when he charged down a clearance.

Johnstone looked on in relief as the ball flew back in the direction of goal but inches wide of the post.

The keeper was on far surer ground with a Jota shot hit straight at him from outside the box.

Cheikh Ndoye also sent a header too close to Johnstone as Blues finished the half on top.

They suffered a blow, however, when Vassell was forced off in stoppage time. The 24-year-old had been struggling for a few minutes following a tangle with Alan Hutton and finally had to admit defeat, being replaced by Gallagher.

Blues continued to hold the upper hand and should have led early in the second half.

Jota pounced on a loose Conor Hourihane pass intended for John Terry but with just Johnstone to beat blazed his finish over the bar.

Moments later, Gallagher could not make a clean connection with his head on a Jota cross, the ball flying wide.

Gallagher then went even closer, deflecting a Marc Roberts shot over the bar from just six yards out.

Villa had their backs firmly to the wall but would then have led had it not been for a brilliant Kuszczak save.

A long clearance from Johnstone started a counter attack which ended with Albert Adomah crossing for Kodjia.

The striker got a firm head to the ball but Kuszczak got an equally strong hand to turn it over the bar.

Enlivened, Villa were inches away again a couple of minutes later when an inswinging Hourihane free-kick deflected inches wide of the far post.

Bruce introduced Davis off the bench and within minutes the teenager had almost put his team ahead.

Some slick work around the Blues box saw Hutton race through and though Kuszczak was out quickly to block from the Scot, the loose ball ran to Davis who smashed a drive from a tight angle off the underside of the bar.

Within two minutes Villa would hit the woodwork again. This time Kodjia cut inside from the left and curled an effort off the top of the bar with Kuszczak beaten.

Adomah curled a stoppage time free-kick over the bar as neither side could find a winner.

Key Moments

2 - Jonathan Kodjia heads the first chance of the game wide from Robert Snodgrass’s cross.

31 - Villa keeper Sam Johnstone narrowly avoids embarrassment. Isaac Vassell charges down his clearance and the ball whistles inches wide.

49 - Jota blazes over through on goal. The Portuguese midfielder pounces on a loose Conor Hourihane pass but fluffs his lines with just Johnstone to beat.

64 - Blues keeper Tomasz Kuszczak brilliantly denied Jonathan Kodjia, keeping out the striker’s header from Albert Adomah’s cross with a flying save.

77 - Substitute Keinan Davis comes within inches of putting Villa ahead with a drive which hits the underside of the bar.

79 Kodjia hits the bar. The striker cuts in from the left and curls a right-footed shot off the top of the bar.

Teams

Blues (4-2-3-1): Kuszczak; Colin, Morrison, Roberts, Grounds; Kieftenbeld, Davis; Jota (Maghoma 82), Ndoye, Adams (Jutkiewicz 90); Vassell (Gallagher 45) Subs not used: Gardner, Dean, Maghoma, Boga, Trueman (gk).

Villa (4-4-1-1): Johnstone, Elmohamady, Chester, Terry (c), Hutton, Snodgrass (Jedinak 60), Whelan, Hourihane (Davis 74), Adomah, Onomah, Kodjia (Hogan 81) Subs not used: De Laet, Samba, Bjarnason, Steer (gk).