Aston Villa 1 Preston 1 - Report

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone experienced a similar feeling in a single night at Villa Park, as he went from villain to hero in helping his team to what may well prove a valuable point come the end of the season.

There was no escaping the fact Villa keeper Johnstone was culpable for allowing Tom Barkhuizen to put Preston ahead in acrobatic fashion.

But it was also true he then more than kept his team in the game with fine saves to prevent Paul Huntington and former Villa striker Callum Robinson from increasing the Lilywhites advantage.

The importance of both stops became clear when Lewis Grabban rolled Villa level from the penalty spot midway through the second half, after fellow substitute Keinan Davis had been fouled in the box.

A draw is not what home supporters would have wanted or demanded prior to kick-off but was the most their team deserved against a Preston outfit who will feel they should have taken all three.

The result means Villa remain third in the table, with Cardiff and Derby, their closest rivals for automatic promotion, both playing tonight.

Steve Bruce’s team once again missed the creativity of Albert Adomah and Jack Grealish, both again missing through injury.

Finding a formula which works without the star duo will likely be key to keeping hopes of automatic promotion alive.

Bruce made just one change from the team which lost 2-0 at Fulham last Saturday, Josh Onomah coming in for Ahmed Elmohamady.

The Egyptian, who was forced off at half-time at Craven Cottage with a back injury, was fit enough for a place on the bench.

Both Onomah and Robert Snodgrass had been tried on the left wing in place of the absent Adomah on Saturday, with neither particularly impressing.

And so instead it was Birkir Bjarnason who began on the flank, the Iceland international bringing the first save of the game out of Declan Rudd when he collected Onomah’s pass and hit a firm drive toward goal from 25 yard which the Preston keeper pushed over the bar.

Rudd was again called into action seconds later, flying to his left to hold onto John Terry’s header from the resulting corner.

Otherwise, it was a rather low key start in a Villa Park atmosphere which bordered on the nervy.

The feeling in the crowd appeared to transfer itself to the pitch when, under no pressure, Terry presented the ball straight to Robinson, allowing the Villa academy product to advance to the edge of the box and lash a shot just wide of the post.

Villa were huffing and puffing in their attempts to break the deadlock, though Scott Hogan almost provided the inspiration when, tight to the byline, he flicked the ball over his marker before drilling a shot which Rudd kept out at the near post.

The keeper was also called into action by the unlikely figure of Alan Hutton, who cut in from the left flank and fired a low right-footed shot which the Preston stopper had to tip around the post.

But it would be his opposite number, Johnstone, who would ultimately be involved in the first-half’s biggest talking point as Preston took the lead on 37 minutes.

The on-loan Manchester United star has enjoyed a fine campaign but, just as at Fulham on Saturday, he was culpable for Villa conceding.

Mile Jedinak got his head to Robinson’s corner but the ball went straight up in the air and Johnstone’s poor punch, back into the middle of the box, allowed Barkhuizen to send a looping overhead kick toward goal.

Scrambling, Johnstone launched a last ditch dive to try and keep the effort out but only succeeded in pushing it into the net.

Villa were booed off at the break and Bruce responded by introducing both Grabban and Davis off the bench, in place of Snodgrass and the ineffectual Conor Hourihane.

Yet it was the Lilywhites who almost immediately doubled their lead, this time Johnstone coming to the rescue as he saved superbly from Paul Huntington, before Davis nodded the loose ball clear.

Johnstone then pulled off an even better save to deny Robinson at point-blank range after Terry had allowed Barkhuizen’s ball from the left to float over his head.

Villa were second best but from nowhere were handed a route back into the game by referee Darren England, who pointed to the spot after Davis tumbled over in the box under pressure from Barkhuizen.

Preston’s players complained long and loud about the decision, with Ben Pearson shown a yellow card for his complaints.

But Grabban kept his cool to roll the spot-kick down the middle and get his team back on level terms.

The change in atmosphere was instant and moments later Davis was inches away from playing Bjarnason through on goal.

It was end-to-end stuff with Louis Moult going close for Preston, while Grabban did the same for Villa.

The latter sent a fierce half-volley over the bar before Hutton drilled just off target from distance.

Villa’s final chance fell to Davis in stoppage time but after feeding Grabban on the wing, he was unable to direct the return cross on target.

Teams

Villa (4-1-4-1): Johnstone, Tuanzebe (Elmohamady 85), Chester, Terry, Hutton, Jedinak, Snodgrass (Davis HT), Onomah, Hourihane (Grabban HT), Bjarnason, Hogan Subs not used: Taylor, Whelan, Lansbury, Bunn (gk).

Preston (4-2-3-1): Rudd, Fisher, Huntington, Davies, Cunningham, Pearson, Moult (Horgan 83), Bodin (Harrop 90+1), Browne, Barkhuizen (Simpson 90+8), Robinson Subs not used: Woods, Spurr, Earl, Maxwell (gk).