Hull 0 Aston Villa 0 - Report

Steve Bruce’s team are now nine points behind second-placed Cardiff with only seven games to play after an uninspired display at the KCOM Stadium.

Albert Adomah missed Villa’s best chance of the game when he fired over from close range in the opening minutes.

Sam Johnstone then saved from Hull’s Angus MacDonald in a second half where the hosts looked more likely winners.

Analysis

This was another desperately disappointing performance from Villa, who have now taken only one point from three games since beating Wolves on March 10.

They also failed to score in consecutive game for the first time since December, despite the return of Jonathan Kodjia after five months out.

The Ivory Coast international was introduced as a second half substitute but couldn’t find a way to inspire his team.

Bruce made a number of changes in a bid to freshen his team after back-to-back defeats prior to the international break.

But while Villa were the better side in the first half, they fell away badly after the break and deserved nothing more than the point they earned.

Next up is a home game with Reading on Tuesday, where Bruce will hope to rediscover the spark which has suddenly gone missing from his side.

The manager made four changes from the team beaten 1-0 at Bolton prior to the international break.

It included a first Championship start since December 9 for Henri Lansbury, while the fit-again Axel Tuanzebe and Alan Hutton came into defence, with Mile Jedinak restored to the midfield.

James Bree, Ahmed Elmohamady, Conor Hourihane and Birkir Bjarnason all came out of the starting XI, with the latter not even included in the matchday squad.

Perhaps the most significant bit of Villa team news was on the bench, where Jonathan Kodjia made his return after five months out with an ankle injury.

If Bruce’s intention had been to freshen up his team with the changes, there could be no question they started the sharper of the two.

Top scorer Adomah should have put Villa ahead inside the opening eight minutes but somehow scooped Robert Snodgrass’s inviting cross over the bar from inside the six yard box.

A last-gasp diving intervention from Michael Dawson was then required to prevent Lewis Grabban tapping home a Lansbury cross destined right for the striker.

Abel Hernandez thought he had put the home side ahead when he rifled a shot into the top corner, only to be denied by a linesman’s flag.

Harry Wilson also shot wide for the hosts, this time from an onside position.

Yet it was Villa who were dominating possession and asking most of the questions.

Snodgrass and Lansbury both shot straight at Hull keeper Allan McGregor, while another superbly-timed Dawson challenge was required to dispossess Adomah after Villa had broken into the left-hand side of the box.

On the occasions Dawson wasn’t defying them, the visitors were guilty of picking the wrong option, Adomah seeing a cross intended for Grabban blocked when the better option would have been to shoot.

Hull began the second half brightly and Johnstone was forced into his first action of the game, tipping over MacDonald’s first-time shot after Jarred Bowen’s free-kick had deflected into his path.

A last-ditch challenge from Hutton was then required to deny Hernandez a clear sight at goal after a poor pass from Grealish led to Jedinak been dispossessed in the middle of the park.

Hull boss Nigel Adkins brought former Blues midfielder Jon Toral off the bench and within minutes he went close to finding an opener with a header which whistled over the bar.

With Villa second best, Bruce introduced Kodjia off the bench just past the hour mark.

Yet it was Hull who continued to look more threatening and it required a vital interception from Lansbury to prevent Hernandez’s cross reaching Bowen.

Toral drilled over again as Hull looked for a winner, with Villa failing to test home keeper McGregor during the second period.

Teams

Hull (4-4-1-1): McGregor, Aina, Clark, Dawson, MacDonald (Hector 66), Larsson, Henriksen, Bowen, Wilson (Grosicki 77), Irvine (Toral 59), Hernandez Subs not used: Meyler, Campbell, Tomori, Marshall (gk).

Villa (4-1-4-1): Johnstone, Tuanzebe (Elmohamady 75), Chester, Terry (c), Hutton, Jedinak, Snodgrass, Grealish, Lansbury, Adomah (Hogan 83), Grabban Subs not used: Hourihane, Bree, Onomah, Bunn (gk).