Sheffield Wednesday 1 Aston Villa 3 - Report and pictures

Dean Smith’s men looked destined to drop out of the Championship top six as the clock ticked past 90 minutes at Hillsborough.

But Adomah put them ahead from close range when Wednesday keeper Keiren Westwood could only parry Jonathan Kodjia’s shot, before Abraham made sure of victory with his 23rd goal of the season.

John McGinn had earlier cancelled out Gary Hooper’s opener for the hosts, while Jed Steer saved Steven Fletcher’s second half penalty to keep Villa level.

Analysis

The win, coupled with Bristol City dropping points at home to Wigan, saw Villa climb back up to fifth in the table.

It was a quite extraordinary outcome following an afternoon when they delivered comfortably their poorest performance of recent weeks, against a Wednesday who were in unbeaten under their former boss Bruce.

A point, in truth, was the most they really deserved with the home side dominating for large periods of the second half.

Fletcher missed a golden chance to put Wednesday back in front when his poor penalty was comfortably saved by Steer and the hosts had other chance to retake the lead.

Yet Villa kept pushing and got their rewards during a remarkable passage of stoppage time.

Villa began promisingly and it required a timely clearance by Wednesday defender Michael Hector to prevent Anwar El Ghazi’s cross reaching Tammy Abraham 10 yards out.

But on seven minutes it was the hosts who grabbed the lead with a goal almost out of nothing.

Hector started the move with a simple ball forward which found George Boyd in acres of space on the left flank. From there the rest was simple as, with the Villa defence nowhere to be seen, he squared the ball for Hooper to tap home his first goal since December 2017.

Villa were suddenly knocked out of their stride and it required McGinn’s brilliant leveller, similarly created out of nothing, for them to regain some composure.

Mings’s long ball forward looked destined to run out for a goal kick but Green showed great desire to reach it and produce a cross which McGinn side-footed, first time, beyond Westwood and inside the far post.

Green, buoyed by his part in the goal, saw an effort deflected wide soon after as Villa looked to strike again.

But Wednesday also looked a threat and Barry Bannan went close to netting against his former club with a shot which curled inches wide of the post.

Villa were also lucky to escape before the break when the usually dependable Mings gave the ball away deep inside his own half. Kortney Hause, his defensive partner, came to the rescue by deflecting Steven Fletcher’s shot wide of goal.

The visitors were dealt a blow eight minutes into the second half when Hause was forced off by injury. He was replaced off the bench by Axel Tuanzebe.

Wednesday then blew a golden chance to retake the lead when Fletcher was denied by Steer from the spot.

Tyrone Mings was guilty of bringing down the striker after both challenged for a long ball.

But Fletcher’s left-footed spot-kick was hit too close to Steer, who parried the effort before Villa hacked the loose ball clear.

The hosts, however, were now making most of the running and Villa had another narrow escape when Reach sent an effort just wide of the post.

Bannan was Wednesday’s most influential player and the hosts were dealt a blow when the Scot was forced off through injury with 17 minutes remaining.

Substitute Albert Adomah wasted Villa’s best opening of the second half to that point when he failed to pick out an unmarked Grealish on the counter attack.

But the winger was then the hero in the second minute of stoppage time. Grealish teed up Kodjia on the edge of the box and when Westwood could only parry the shot, Adomah fired home from a tight angle, the keeper unable to stop the ball crossing the line.

There were still three minutes to play but Villa merely added another goal to pile on the misery for Bruce, Abraham firing home on the turn after a swift counter attack.

Key Moments

7 - GOAL Wednesday open the scoring when Villa go to sleep and George Boyd crosses for Gary Hooper to slot home his first goal since December 2017.

22 - GOAL Villa back level thanks to John McGinn’s fourth goal in as many games. Andre Green shows great determination to reach Tyrone Mings’s long ball and produces a cross which McGinn brilliantly side foots beyond Keiren Westwood.

57 PENALTY SAVE Jed Steer saves Steven Fletcher’s penalty after Tyrone Mings is penalised for bringing down the striker in the box.

90+2 GOAL Albert Adomah puts Villa in front, firing home the rebound after Jonathan Kodjia’s shot is parried.

90+4 GOAL Tammy Abraham seals the win, firing home on the turn after Villa break on the counter.

Teams

Sheff W (4-4-2): Westwood, Iorfa (Fox 40), Lees, Hector, Palmer, Reach, Hutchinson, Bannan (Matias 73), Boyd, Hooper (Forestieri 84), Fletcher Subs not used: Pelupessy, Nuhiu, Winnall, Dawson (gk).

Villa (4-3-3): Steer, Elmohamady, Hause (Tuanzebe 53), Mings, Taylor, McGinn, Whelan, Grealish, Green (Adomah 70), Abraham, El Ghazi (Kodjia 82) Subs not used: Jedinak, Hourihane, Lansbury, Sarkic (gk).