A seventh successive league victory propelled Aston Villa into the Championship promotion places for the first time this season, an achievement rendered all the sweeter by the identity of their opponents. Birmingham City have enjoyed something of a renaissance since Christmas, hauling themselves out of the bottom three in the process, but their limitations were exposed in this fabulously supported, fiercely contested but ultimately one-sided second city derby.
Villa’s victory was sealed by a moment of outstanding quality from Conor Hourihane, almost totally out of keeping with the remainder of the match. With nine minutes to play John Terry’s free kick from inside his own half, aimed towards Robert Snodgrass on the right, was headed clear and the Irish midfielder chested the ball down, watched it bounce invitingly and sent a dipping half-volley looping over David Stockdale and into the net from 20 yards.
It was in midfield that the home side’s superiority was most marked, even if Hourihane was largely outshone by his partner in the centre, Jack Grealish. On a difficult pitch, the 22-year-old’s distribution and movement set him apart, and in a first half of few chances, when the home side did threaten Birmingham’s goal he was without exception involved. It was his excellent long, high pass in the 17th minute that led to Scott Hogan cutting inside and hitting a dipping shot that clipped the top of the bar, and nine minutes later he teed up Albert Adomah, who cut on to his right foot and lashed a powerful shot too close to Stockdale.
On other occasions Grealish moved to the left, allowing Adomah to come inside. In the 41st minute Grealish passed across the edge of the area and Adomah shot just wide from 20 yards, but when the combination was tried again, 15 minutes into the second half, this time Adomah’s shot was speared precisely inside the near post.
“We actually brought our game to a derby with all the emotion that surrounds that,” said Colin Calderwood, Villa’s assistant manager. “We’ll certainly enjoy the elation of coming out on top on derby day but I think we’re all aware the job isn’t about winning today and that alone, there’s a future to take care of.”
Steve Bruce, the Villa manager, had been given compassionate leave following the death of his father earlier in the week but returned to work on Friday and took charge of everything but the post-match media duties. “He got about the players in his normal way pre-match and was excellent at half-time in terms of keeping them focused and calm,” said Calderwood. “The result will probably be a shaft of light for him, a moment of happiness. I don’t want to speak too much for him. I’m sure in time he’ll articulate it better than me.”
Birmingham had probably the best chance of the game, shortly before half-time, when Terry’s stumble allowed Sam Gallagher to run clear and he drilled a handsome but slightly wayward low shot past Sam Johnstone and against the far post before prodding the rebound high. Between that and Marc Roberts’ header on to the bar in stoppage time, City scarcely threatened, and Cheikh Ndoye ended an afternoon when he was profoundly outclassed in midfield with a second booking moments from the end. “Today the bottom line is we weren’t quite good enough to take them on,” said the manager, Steve Cotterill. “It’s not easy to sit here and say that. The way we’ve been playing maybe gave everybody hope we might come here and do something today. That’s why it’s so disappointing. But there were a few of our boys who lacked the belief to play in a game like that. Today we just weren’t good enough to take on a really experienced team. Whether we like it or not, that’s the bottom line.”
