Aston Villa 3 Reading 0 - Report and pictures

A 3-0 victory, which ranked among the most comfortable of the season for Steve Bruce’s men, should at least have restored some confidence for the final games of a campaign likely to be extended by the play-offs.

How Villa must wish they could have faced opponents as accommodating as Reading, during the three-game winless run which all but ended their chances of a top two finish?

The Royals - and former Wolves midfielder Dave Edwards in particular - gave Bruce’s men a big helping-hand.

Edwards was dismissed for two yellow cards inside the opening half-hour, while a howler from Reading goalkeeper Vito Mannone allowed Scott Hogan to complete the scoring 20 minutes from time.

Yet while playing against ten men for 60 minutes undoubtedly made things more straightforward, it should also be noted Villa were particularly lively and well on top prior to Edwards’s premature dismissal, on a night when recent frustrations could be forgotten.

After an impressive first-half rearguard from the visitors, Birkir Bjarnason broke the deadlock in sublime fashion early in the second half.

Conor Hourihane then netted to become the first Villa midfielder since David Platt in 1991 to hit double figures in a league campaign. Hogan’s goal, meanwhile, was his first for two months.

The win means Villa are all but assured of a place in the play-offs, while they moved back to within seven points of second-placed Cardiff, with six games left to play.

For the second game running, Bruce made considerable changes to the line-up in a bid to keep his team fresh.

There were five in total - one more than for Saturday’s 0-0 draw a Hull.

It included a recall for Bjarnason in the heart of midfield, while Hogan was handed his first start since last month’s 3-0 win at Sunderland.

Ahmed Elmohamady returned at right-back in place of Axel Tuanzebe, who along with Alan Hutton dropped out of the matchday squad entirely.

Neil Taylor, fit-again following a groin injury, replaced the latter at left-back, while the final change saw Hourihane come in for Henri Lansbury.

Just as they had against Hull, Villa made a bright start.

Jack Grealish had their first attempt of the game, volleying over from ten yards out after Albert Adomah had broken down the right and delivered a teasing cross into the box.

It was one of several dangerous deliveries which fizzed into the Reading area during the opening 20 minutes but aside from a Bjarnason header which narrowly cleared the bar, all were dealt with by a visiting defence which refused to break.

Then, on the half-hour mark, came Edwards’s moment of madness.

The Wales international could consider himself unfortunate to receive his first booking for a challenge on Grealish where he appeared to win the ball.

But having been shown the yellow card, he could simply not afford to dive in with the manner he did on Bjarnason.

Referee Darren Bond wasted no time in producing a yellow and then red and Edwards left the field shaking his head, no doubt frustrated by his own loss of composure.

Villa, sensing blood, pushed forward in growing expectation.

Hogan sent a glancing header straight and Mannone and then was denied in superb fashion by the keeper after a swift Villa counter-attack which saw Adomah’s cross deflected into his path at the far post.

Mannone was also alert to keep out shots from Conor Hourihane and Grealish, while Adomah also sent a half-volley over the bar as the breakthrough remained elusive before the break.

Bruce’s half-time message to his team would have been to remain patient.

As it was, the goal would arrive within 70 seconds of the restart and - as frustrating as the opening period might have been - it was arguably worth the wait.

Snodgrass was the creator, twisting and turning as he looked for a shooting angle past former Villa man Leandro Bacuna.

Finding none, he passed the ball to Bjarnason, who from the edge of the box lifted a first-time, curling right-footed finish into the top corner, with Mannone unmoved.

It was the Iceland international’s fourth goal of the season and all that Villa deserved for their dominance, which duly continued.

John Terry headed narrowly over from a Snodgrass free-kick, while Adomah again tested Mannone with a stinging shot.

There was only one scare for the hosts, when Mo Barrow briefly broke away from James Chester. But Terry was there to block the shot and on 63 minutes, Hourihane made it two.

The midfielder ghosted in at the far post to head Snodgrass’s cross beyond Mannone and put Villa in even firmer command.

Bruce’s men didn’t need any more helping hands at that stage but with 20 minutes to go, Mannone gave them one anyway.

Asleep to any danger, the goalkeeper attempted to dribble the ball out of goal and was promptly robbed by Hogan, who fired into the empty net.

Chances continued to come for Villa but Mannone restored some credibility by keeping them at bay, touching a long-distance Hourihane drive before denying substitute Jonathan Kodjia in stoppage time.

Teams

Villa (4-1-4-1): Johnstone, Elmohamady, Chester, Terry (c), Taylor, Bjarnason, Snodgrass (Onomah 66), Grealish (Whelan 75), Hourihane, Adomah (Kodjia 66), Hogan subs not used: Jedinak, Lansbury, Grabban, Bunn (gk).

Reading (4-2-3-1): Mannone, Gunter, Blackett, Moore, Ilori, Edwards, Evans (Kelly 65), Bacuna, Aluko (Martin 73), Barrow, Smith (Clement HT) Subs not used: van den Berg, Swift, Holmes, Jaakkola (gk).