Aston Villa 2 Sheffield United 2 - Report

In front of a bumper crowd of 35,210 at Villa Park, the hosts raced into a two-goal lead through Albert Adomah's spot-kick and Mile Jedinak's powerful header.

Ex-Blues striker Clayton Donaldson struck twice to draw level before half-time though and no more goals came in an, unsurprisingly, quieter second period.

The result sees the two teams remain on the same number of points in the Championship - Villa sixth, with a slightly better goal difference, and United seventh.

Analysis

Villa fans did not get the early present they desired, but this clash was certainly a festive cracker.

Steve Bruce's charges came flying out of the blocks, and the visitors were caught cold on the eve of Christmas Eve.

Albert Adomah and Jack Grealish were looking dangerous whenever they got the ball and instrumental in going two up so early on.

The home side's defence did not appear comfortable, though, and United made the most of that.

Mile Jedinak is not a centre-half - and it showed.

Despite scoring his first goal for the club, what supporters will remember most from the game is his dreadful error which led to the Blades' equaliser - letting a rolling ball past him, for Clayton Donaldson to latch onto.

Villa started the encounter with such confidence and vigour. As the second half progressed, though, they seemed to grow in anxiety.

They went for it in the final quarter of an hour, bringing on Scott Hogan and Gabby Agbonlahor, but to no avail.

Championship top goalscorer Leon Clarke spurned a glorious chance for United as each side had to make do with a point.

Key Moments

2 - PENALTY to Villa! Albert Adomah fires in a cross from the left. Keinan Davis takes a touch and is tripped by former Wolves defender Richard Stearman, with referee Simon Hooper pointing to the spot.

3 - GOAL! Adomah fires Villa in front from the spot, sending United goalie Simon Moore the wrong way with a cool side-footed finish.

10 - GOAL! Robert Snodgrass whips in a free-kick with his left foot and Mile Jedinak rises highest to head home, past a despairing Moore, to double the home side's advantage. That is Jedinak's first Villa goal.

12 - Goal! This is crazy stuff. The Blades pull one back through Clayton Donaldson. Former Blues man Donaldson was allowed the time and space to control an on over-the-top ball and lob Sam Johnstone.

26 - Goal! An awful mistake from Jedinak allows Donaldson to burst into the area before rifling the ball past Johnstone, into the bottom corner, to make it 2-2.

62 - Big chance for the away side. Leon Clarke heads wide from close range after George Baldock's pinpoint cross.

Teams

Villa (4-4-1-1): Johnstone; Elmohamady (Agbonlahor, 73), Chester (c), Jedinak, Taylor; Snodgrass (De Laet, 59), Hourihane, Whelan, Adomah; Grealish; Davis (Hogan, 73)

Subs not used: Hutton, Elphick, Bjarnason, Steer (gk)

United (5-3-2): Moore; Baldock, Carter-Vickers, O'Connell, Stearman, Stevens; Basham, Lundstram, Duffy (Carruthers, 73); Donaldson (Sharp, 73), Clarke (c)

Subs not used: Wright, Henghan, Lafferty, Lavery, Blackman (gk)

Man of the Match

Jack Grealish - A very tidy display from the No.10. He kept finding pockets of space and was calm in possession of the ball. 8/10