SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 2
Clare (14), Joao (45)
ASTON VILLA 4
Grabban (21), Whelan (67), Hourihane (87), Snodgrass (90)
Aston Villa kept their chances of gaining automatic promotion alive, beating Sheffield Wednesday thanks to two late goals.
Wednesday went ahead early on courtesy of Sean Clare’s first senior goal for the club. Villa hit back through on-loan striker Lewis Grabban, but the home side were on top before the break, when Lucas Joao headed home.
Glenn Whelan levelled the game on his return to Hillsborough and then Conor Hourihane and Robert Snodgrass (penalty) sealed victory.
It was a lively start to the game, and Clare broke the deadlock.
The young midfielder struck a sweet strike into the bottom corner from Atdhe Nuhiu’s chested pass, to finish off a great counter-attacking move.
The lead didn’t last. Villa captain John Terry had a header saved well by keeper Joe Wildsmith, who then reacted quickly to save again at point-blank range from Scott Hogan.
The danger still wasn’t cleared and Grabban was looming to tap in.
The in-form Joao, Clare and Nuhiu went close to scoring, before a short corner came close to being a goal for George Boyd. The wingback received the ball in space just outside the area and his effort came off a post and hit keeper Sam Johnstone.
Boyd exhibited some fancy footwork to dribble into the Villa box before going to ground, but ref Neil Swarbrick denied him a penalty.
After all the short corners taken by the Owls, it was a simple one whipped in by Reach that Joao headed past Johnstone to put them in front on the stroke of half-time.
Wednesday were made to pay when they left Snodgrass too much time to pick out a cross, and former Wednesday man Whelan headed in his first goal for Villa from inside the six-yard box to equalise.
The match burst into life again with 15 minutes left, Frederico Venancio hitting a post and Joao having a shot cleared off the line. Nuhiu was also denied by a Johnstone save moments later and at the other end James Chester headed over.
In a sickening blow for the home side, Hourihane then put Villa ahead for the first time in the game, shooting with his first touch.
Snodgrass scored from the spot in addedtime to compound the home team’s misery, as Swarbrick awarded a penalty for a Venancio