Dean Smith: It will take something special for Aston Villa to make play-offs
Dean Smith admitted it will now take something special for Villa to make the play-offs after they were beaten at home by Albion.
Goals late in the first-half from Hal Robson-Kanu and Jay Rodriguez set the Baggies cruising to a derby victory which further dented their rivals’ hopes of catching the top six.
Villa still sit seven points adrift of the play-off positions but having played two games more than some of those teams above them.
Smith said: “All we can do is go into the next game and try to win. Mathematically it is not over. It is getting harder, that is for sure.
“Will it take something special? Yes, but this can be a special place, so why not? We are making it hard for ourselves.”
Tammy Abraham squandered a golden chance to put Villa ahead when he could only fire straight at visiting goalkeeper Sam Johnstone from close range.
Robson-Kanu then put the Baggies ahead four minutes before the break when his header looped over Villa keeper Lovre Kalinic.
The Croatian was soon beaten again when Rodriguez’s shot deflected off Tommy Elphick and went in off the post.
Kalinic was replaced at half-time, having taken a kick from Jake Livermore earlier in the half.
Smith apportioned no blame on the 27-year-old for the opener, after he appeared to misjudge the flight of Robson-Kanu’s header.
He said: “For me there’s no question mark over the goalkeeper on the first goal. That is one of those crosses where it is deflected on.
“I don’t think any goalkeeper is saving that. It has looped over the top of a 6ft 7ins goalkeeper. No goalkeeper in the world would save it.
Smith continued: “There was absolutely nothing in the game. We started really brightly and had a big chance with Tammy. If he takes the chance it’s a totally different game.
“We conceded and I thought for the next five minutes we didn’t react as well as we should and went chasing on our own.
“Before that I thought we had a really good shape, balance and organisation. We make a mistake and they go and score the second goal.
“In the second half they let us have the ball and had no ambition to go forward. We never had enough quality.”
