Match Stats: Aston Villa v Derby County

Aston Villa welcomed fellow Play-Off hopefuls Derby County to Villa Park for today’s Championship clash.

With incredibly slim automatic promotion hopes still alive with how tight the top few places in the division are, Villa needed victory to close that gap on both Fulham and Cardiff City but sadly it wasn’t to be.

With the visitors taking the lead through Cameron Jerome in the 14th minute, Villa absolutely smashed them in terms of possession and overall chances on the day. We got the least that we deserved with Lewis Grabban continuing his form and finding the leveller six minutes from the full-time whistle.

1-1 was how the game finished and it ends automatic hopes as we finish the day with an unassailable gap given results elsewhere – Cardiff taking victory at Hull was the clincher regardless of our result.

With a point between Fulham and Cardiff, second spot goes down to the last game and we await a final decision on whether we face Middlesbrough, Derby County or even potentially Preston North End or Millwall in our Play-Off semi-final.

Fourth place is ours though and we remain on track for a top-flight return which is our only aim.

Aston Villa				Derby County
Grabban (84)				Jerome (4)
Johnstone				Carson
Elmohamady				Keogh
Chester				Davies
Terry				Pearce			73
Taylor			23	Wisdom
Whelan			81	Huddlestone
Snodgrass				Johnson
Hourihane				Forsyth
Grealish				Weimann			80
Adomah			59	Lawrence			68
Grabban				Jerome
Substitutes
Lansbury				Palmer			80
Hogan				Roos
Jedinak				Vydra			68
Onomah			81	Hanson			73
Hutton			23	Nugent
Kodjia			59	Olsson
Bunn				Ledley

Game Statistics
24	Goal attempts	7
6	On Target	3
9	Corners	2
4	Fouls	8
0	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
72	%	28