Aston Villa 3 Barnsley 1 - Report

Scott Hogan scored twice in the first seven minutes to put Steve Bruce’s men on course for a fourth straight Championship win.

Dimitri Cavare pulled one back for the visitors with a header but Conor Hourihane netted against his former club to restore Villa’s two-goal cushion.

Hogan hit the woodwork in the second half as he went close to sealing another fine performance with a hat-trick.

Analysis

Having failed to score in the Championship prior to the turn of the year, Hogan has now netted four in his last three league games, a return to form which could not have come at a better time for boss Bruce.

Ten points adrift of the top two just a month ago, Villa have now climbed within striking distance and on current form they must now be regarded as serious challengers.

For the second home league game running, supporters were treated to a fast-paced attacking performance from their team, with Villa putting away their opponents in an opening half in which they could have scored many more.

Driven by Jack Grealish and helped by some decisive delivery by the likes of Ahmed Elmohamady, Robert Snodgrass and Albert Adomah, they were simply too hot for the visiting Tykes to handle.

The second half was a far quieter affair with Barnsley creating most of the chances. But Villa’s defence held firm to continue their march up the table.

Bruce made just one change from the starting XI which won 1-0 at Nottingham Forest last Saturday, Birkir Bjarnason rewarded for a strong second half performance with only his third Championship start of the season and first since September.

The pre-game tributes to Cyrille Regis meant there was already a vibrant atmosphere inside Villa Park, which only increased when the goals began flying in.

For the third league game running Hogan opened the scoring as his revival continued.

A promising move down the right appeared to have broken down but when Snodgrass found Elmohamady with a flicked header, the Egyptian whipped in a wicked low cross which Hogan deftly pushed beyond keeper Adam Davies.

Two minutes later the striker had his second of the game, emerging through a crowd of players to head home Snodgrass’s inswinging corner.

Barnsley would have had cause to question their defending but just five minutes later it was Villa who fell asleep to allow the visitors back into the game.

This time it was Cavare who thumped home a header from Stevie Mallan’s corner to give the Tykes a foothold.

Yet within seven minutes Villa’s two-goal cushion had been restored by Hourihane, netting against his former club.

The goal owed much to Grealish, who collected the ball on the left wing and ghosted past two defenders before sliding the ball into the path of Hourihane, who stroked his finish beyond Davies and into the bottom corner.

There were no more goals before the break, yet no shortage of entertainment with Villa playing some excellent attacking football.

Davies needed strong hands to keep out a powerful Grealish shot, while only a well-timed lunge by Ethan Pinnock denied Hogan a tap-in on the stroke of half-time.

Barnsley also had their moments, with Bjarnason on hand to block from former Walsall striker Tom Bradshaw after Cavare had robbed Alan Hutton deep in Villa territory.

The visitors introduced former Wolves winger Adam Hammill at the break but it was the home side who continued to carve out chances.

Hogan came within inches of grabbing his hat-trick when he fired Adomah’s pull-back off the angle of post and bar. Hourihane also drilled wide from the edge of the box following a rapid Villa counter-attack.

For all that the hosts seemed in control, Barnsley were far from out of it and twice in the space of a minute Kiefer Moore came close to reducing the deficit.

The big striker first forced Johnstone to save with his legs after breaking into the left-hand side of the box, before drilling over after the usually dependable James Chester had lost the ball.

A loose pass from John Terry then allowed Bradshaw to race clear but Johnstone, diving low to his right, proved equal to the shot.

Substitute Dominic Thiam also missed a golden opportunity when he headed wide unmarked at the far post from a free-kick.

But after then regaining some form of control, Villa saw things out in relative ease.

Key Moments

5 - GOAL For the third game running Scott Hogan opens the scoring. Ahmed Elmohamdy whips in a cross from the right and Hogan flicks home.

7 - GOAL It is a dream start for Villa as Hogan makes it two, climbing to head home Robert Snodgrass’s right-wing corner.

12 - GOAL Barnsley right back in it. Villa fall asleep at a corner and Dimitri Cavare heads home Stevie Mallan’s delivery.

19 - GOAL Villa’s two-goal cushion is restored as Conor Hourihane slides home a finish after superb work by Jack Grealish.

Teams

Villa (4-4-1-1): Johnstone, Elmohamady, Chester, Terry (c), Hutton, Snodgrass, Bjarnason, Hourihane (Whelan 86), Adomah (Onomah 77), Grealish, Hogan (Davis 90) Subs not used: Taylor, Lansbury, Elphick, Bunn (gk).

Barnsley (3-5-2): Davies, McCarthy (Hammill HT), Pinnock, Lindsay, Cavare, Moncur, Mallan, Potts (Mottley-Henry 68), Yiadom, Bradshaw, Moore (Thiam 73) Subs not used: Pearson, Brown, Wolfe, Townsend (gk).