SMASH & GRAB
Villa delight and Derby’s dream is on
LEWIS GRABBAN snatched a late equaliser to extend Aston Villa’s impressive home record, as Derby County hung on for a result that should enable them to join their Midlands rivals in the play-offs.
If these teams do meet at Wembley in the play-off final, Villa could claim to be favourites after dominating t his match. But Derby defended stoutly, hanging on to Cameron Jerome’s goal, and they will go into next Sunday’s final game of the regular season with Barnsley in charge of their own destiny.
Jerome, the veteran striker, has hardly lit up Pride Park since signing from Norwich in January, but this past week has seen him come to life.
Two goals in the comeback victory over Cardiff in midweek were followed by the opener here, and manager Gary Rowett can sense momentum is returning. ‘ We’ve just played Cardiff and soundly beaten them and we’ve just played Villa and dealt with a lot they threw at us,’ the Derby coach said.
For the goal, Andi Weimann made his way past Neil Taylor with alarming ease before pulling the ball back for Jerome to sweep into the far corner from 10 yards out.
After Grabban, unmarked six yards out, headed over the bar from Albert Adomah’s cross, this looked as if it could be a frustrating day for Villa. But they stuck to their task, with Jack Grealish influential, and almost equalised on the stroke of half-time when Ahmed Elmohamady’s shot struck the bar.
Villa dominated the second half. Conor Hourihane volleyed over an open net and, after Weimann raced clear but struggled to get his shot away at the other end, substitute Jonathan Kodjia headed against the bar. So it was no miscarriage of justice when Villa equalised to make it only one defeat in 15 home games.
Grealish backheeled the ball for Hourihane to shoot and, after Scott Carson parried, Alan Hutton and John Terry set up Grabban to score his eighth goal in 10 starts.