Wasteful Villans stay positive
ASTON VILLA’S Championship play-off hopes suffered a setback when they were held to a scrappy draw at lowly Reading.
Villa dominated for large periods of the first half and went close to breaking the deadlock when Tommy Elphick headed against the bar.
Reading’s best attempts came from on-loan striker Nelson Oliveira, who was twice denied by Villa goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic.
Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith urged his side to be more clinical with their finishig.
“We came here trying to get three points and we only came away with one,” Smith said.
“We pressed Reading, we went and won the ball high and created a number of good opportunities, the big chances.
“But we didn’t take them, we didn’t get the ball across the line. It’s very unlike us not to score goals.
“But if we play like we did, certainly in the second half, then against other teams we’ll win comfortably. We’ll take the positives from the game, but we’ve just got to stick the ball in the net.”
Reading have won only once in 14 Championship matches and lie in the relegation zone.
“We had a fantastic first half,” manager Jose Gomes said. “We were the better team and created some good situations.
“The way that Aston Villa attacked, they were very dangerous. They are really strong.
“So I was pleased that we finished with a clean sheet, even if we played a bit out of our process in the second half. It was more direct football.
“But even with the more direct football, our players did very well. They were brave, they fought and they defended.
“They stopped this very strong Villa attack.
“The quality and the spirit that we felt gives us a big hope for the future.
“That hope is untouchable, for the way that the players are playing and working. We are definitely in a good way.
“We are producing and creating goal chances. It is just the finishing that is missing.
“It was a very interesting game, emotional to the end. We felt the support from our fans from the beginning to the end.
“I think that they felt the same thing as us. That the players were fighting all the way.”
Villa made a cautious opening but created the first chance when Glenn Whelan crossed into the home area.
Tammy Abraham turned well at the near post but shot straight at Emiliano Martinez.
On the half-hour, Villa almost went ahead from a Conor Hourihane corner.
Elphick beat Martinez in the air but his glancing header cannoned off the bar.
Reading replied just before the break when Kalinic saved well from Oliveira’s powerful 20-yard drive.
Villa took over control after the interval, with an excellent run and cross from Neil Taylor causing panic in the home defence, but there was no teammate on hand to meet it.
With eight minutes left, Abraham appeared set to register his 20th goal of the season from El Ghazi’s searching centre.
But although his header was firm and true, Martinez pulled off a magnificent save to deny Villa the victory.