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Player Match Ratings: 2 wins in 4 days - Huzzah!


John

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We had not won since Boxing Day until we did so at Villa Park on Saturday. We added a second home win to that one yesterday. We have taken 6 points from 2 games now having only managed 2 from our previous 9. Our second win of 2017 has taken us up to 15th place and we are now 9 points clear of the drop zone. A third successive win on Saturday at Rotherham would give us 45 points and this would all but secure our safety.   

The first half was as grim as was the weather yesterday. Our visitors had the better of the start of the game and hit the bar after 15 minutes. They were uncompromising at the back and in the middle. The ball spent a lot of time in the air during most of the first half and that suited our visitors more than it did us as all the high balls played towards Kodjia were easily won by their no-nonsense defenders. This increasingly had the look of a game between two struggling Championship teams who were busy slugging it out and I guess that is exactly what it was.

A goalless draw had seemed to be the most likely result at the break. Happily, the second half was a different story. I guess Steve Bruce had suggested we try playing a bit of football in the second half (with or without the help of an odd flying tea cup) and we did just that during a purple patch that we scored two goals in. We also kept a second clean sheet and no doubt the visitors will point to having twice hit the woodwork but we did that as well so I think the best team won on the day by belatedly showing the quality they possess.      

Our visitors are going through a bad patch that has left them with only 1 win to show from their last 15 league games so like Derby on Saturday they were not exactly an in-form team. But the same could have been said about us until we emerged with 6 points from 2 home games yesterday. Another win is now required against bottom of the table Rotherham who looked doomed and are now 25 points behind us for a third win on the bounce. That would be the first time this season that we have put a three-game winning run together.              

My player ratings from a game that I endured during the first half but rather enjoyed in the second are:

Sam Johnstone – 5 – Does not ooze assurance when attempting to claim high balls and his kicking lacked accuracy last night on occasion. Sam did do well to tip an O’Dowda header onto the bar with an outstretched hand on 55 minutes when our lead was a slender one and kept out an 89th minute shot at his right-hand post.       

Alan Hutton – 7 – He really seems to be reacting to the competition for his starting place. Did very well at the back, got forward and even surprisingly got himself into a couple of shooting positions which less surprisingly he did not score from. Unlucky to be booked for a 42nd minute challenge given he had taken the ball.             

James Chester - 7 – Another instance of our captain leading by his own example.   

Nathan Baker – 7 – Very solid and commanding at the back last night.     

Neil Taylor – 6 – Moved forward more often in the second half and was steady enough at the back. 

Albert Adomah – 5 – Worked hard but we need to see more positivity from him in the final third of the field. Scuffed a shot after Kodjia had won the ball out wide and run into the box before pulling it back to him on 59 minutes but fortunately the ball ran onto Hourihane to hit the ball home for our second goal and to spare his blushes. Crossed for our opening goal.  

Gary Gardner – 6 – Took a knock in the first minute and was substituted on the 38th minute due to injury. Gary earned our penalty when he chased a poor intended back pass to their keeper into the area and was felled by Giefer on the 20th minute.

Henri Lansbury - 7 – Had a good second half and was as good as almost anyone else had been in the first. Showed clear signs that he will soon run things for us alongside Hourihane in the middle.   

Mile Jedinak – 8 – MOTM – Won a lot of ball and showed that he can play twice in 4 days after all. His display gave Hourihane and Lansbury the freedom to get forward and play where they are most dangerous in the second half.   

Andre Green – 7 – Hit the side netting on 14 minutes after he had turned and hit a shot from an Adomah cross that fell into his path just past the far post. Other than this he had a quiet first half but who didn’t? Andre was so unlucky to hit the woodwork for a second time in two games on 56 minutes when he hit a lovely shot from outside of the box between 2 defenders that curled and dipped before striking the crossbar. His 82nd minute booking looked debatable the referee’s decision not to show a second yellow to Giefer was even more so given his assault upon him. Andre really has a lot of promise and is rightfully getting a run of games it would be a pity if the injury that led to his late substitution halts his run of starts.

Jonathan Kodjia – 7 – Proved he was not “a waste of money” after all to the visiting fans when he headed home our crucial first goal on 54 minutes. Jonathan had earlier hit the centre of the bar from the spot on 20 minutes with Giefer having dived to his left. He then headed a ball into the box over the bar on 50 minutes before applying a lovely glancing header to a cross from Adomah 4 minutes later. Took some rough treatment as a lone striker and was the primary target for opposition defenders who like their supporters seem to have very little to no time for him now he has moved on but his goal demonstrated why we paid them so much money for him namely because he is worth it!   

Substitutes:

Conor Hourihane – 8 – Replaced Gardner on 38 minutes. Made a real difference and sealed the win with our second and his first Villa goal on 59 minutes. He needed that goal and was in the right place at the right time to hit the ball home. His confidence will be on a real high after this. Conor pinged some nice passes and hit a decent left footed shot that Giefer gathered on 94 minutes.       

James Bree – Replaced Adomah on 77 minutes and was not on quite long enough to earn a rating.      

Birkir Bjarnason – Replaced Green on the 86th minute. He was also not on long enough to gather any rating.

Up the Villa!

John Lewis

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