Aston Villa 2 Sunderland 1 - Report

Two goals ahead and cruising without having seemingly broken sweat against the division’s bottom club, Villa were ultimately made to sweat for three points which saw them take a big step toward the automatic promotion places.

Albert Adomah’s ninth goal of the season and Josh Onomah’s deflected long-range strike early in the second half had seemingly put away a visiting Sunderland side, managed for the first time by Chris Coleman, who looked devoid of any confidence.

Lewis Grabban’s goal, almost out of nothing, with 18 minutes remaining reignited the contest and meant the game finished with Villa Park in nervous rather than celebratory mood.

This was an eighth win in 11 games for Villa but rarely in a run which has lifted them from the division’s lower reaches have they been so lacklustre.

Boss Steve Bruce, who knows the importance of maintaining momentum, will take pleasure in the result but there is little which will have pleased him about the performance.

Villa, brimming with confidence after Saturday’s 2-1 win at QPR, were quickly on to the front foot and only a timely interception by Tynas Browning prevented Keinan Davis going clean through inside the opening 90 seconds.

Scoring goals has not been so much of a problem for Sunderland, with five netted in their last three games. They looked bright here, the pace of Grabban causing a few early problems for Chris Samba in Villa’s defence.

Yet the ease with which Villa opened the scoring on ten minutes displayed exactly why the Mackems possess the Championship’s most porous defence.

In truth, Adam Matthews was unfortunate not to earn a free-kick when he appeared to be upended by Samba in the middle of the pitch.

From there, however, it was straightforward for Villa. Onomah fed Robert Snodgrass on the right of the box, whose curling left-footed cross was converted by Adomah, sliding in at the far post.

The visitors rallied well and controlled much of the possession during the next period of the game, without managing a serious attempt other than Aiden McGeady’s long range effort which fizzed wide of the post.

Villa were ahead but sluggish and didn’t begin to wake from their slumbers until the half-hour mark when Snodgrass almost doubled the lead.

The Scot looked set to be dispossessed on at least two occasions as he broke towards the box but was allowed to advance within 12 yards of goal before hitting a low shot which was saved Robbin Ruiter.

Sunderland’s keeper then almost immediately came a cropper when he allowed the resulting corner to slip through his hands, with no Villa player in the vicinity to take advantage.

The pace of the game remained slow until the break and there will have concern among the home support at the danger of letting the visitors, admittedly low on confidence, hang around.

Yet within four minutes of the restart Villa had breathing room as Onomah netted his his third of the campaign.

Just like his first, in the 1-1 draw at Bristol City back in August, it came from a deflected shot. This time Browning was the unlucky defender, as his attempted charge down only succeeded in redirecting the ball on a trajectory which took it over Ruiter and into the net.

Villa now had their tails up and Davis, quiet to that point, was denied at close range by Ruiter after a clever reverse pass from Conor Hourihane had sent the teenage striker through on goal.

Sunderland at that point were yet to test home keeper Sam Johnstone and any efforts they could muster were well off target, Lynden Gooch firing a shot which almost cleared the double row of executive boxes in Villa Park’s North Stand.

The visitors first effort on target, as it turned out, led to the goal which brought them right back into the contest. Bryan Oviedo’s shot from distance was parried by Johnstone but with no Villa defender being quick to react, the full-back was able to recover the loose ball and deliver to back into the six-yard box, where Grabban hooked home James Vaughan’s knock down.

Suddenly it was game on and Bruce reacted by replacing the tiring Davis with Jack Grealish as he looked to inject some renewed purpose into Villa’s play.

Sunderland pressed without creating another clear chance as Villa saw out a scrappy but valuable win.

Villa (4-4-1-1): Johnstone, Hutton, Chester, Samba, Taylor, Snodgrass, Whelan (Jedinak 63), Hourihane, Adomah (Elmohamady 87), Onomah, Davis (Grealish 74) Subs not used: De Laet, Lansbury, Bjarnason, Grealish, Steer (gk).

Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Ruiter, Matthews, O’Shea, Browning, Oviedo, Gibson (Robson 86), Gooch (Vaughan 63), Honeyman, McManaman (Asoro 73), McGeady, Grabban Subs not used: Galloway, Love, Beading, Steele (gk).