SLICK VILLA PILE THE PAIN ON UNDER-PRESSURE BRUCE

OLLIE WATKINS ended his goal drought as Aston Villa piled even more pressure on struggling Newcastle boss Steve Bruce.

Villa’s club-record signing scored for the first time in ten matches to send them on their way to all three points with an early strike, before Bertrand Traore doubled the lead before half-time.

Villa moved up to eighth in the table while, for Newcastle, the downward spiral continued as they dropped to 16th spot after a sixth defeat in a eight-match winless run in the Premier League.

Bruce admitted: ‘It’s a difficult period but I have seen enough of the team to try and finish where we did last year or even above it.

‘When we are on a run like this, you come under the pump.

‘I have been criticised for everything. I don’t necessarily agree with it. We are not going to be entertaining and open because, if we go that way, I don’t think we will have enough.’

Villa took the lead in the 13th minute when Fabian Schar’s sliced clearance allowed Watkins to nod the ball beyond Karl Darlow.

The hosts deservedly doubled their lead just before half-time. Traore started and finished the move. The 25-year-old showed quick feet to find Jack Grealish down the left side of the penalty area before continuing his run into the box, where he was picked out by a brilliant cutback and fired a shot in off the underside of the bar.

Villa comfortably saw out the match for their third consecutive home clean sheet in the league for the first time since 2012.