Aston Villa moved out of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over Reading at Villa Park on Tuesday.
The home side shaded the possession in an eventful opening half, but chances remained at a premium with the two teams entering the break level at 0-0.
The opportunities began to fall in the second period, however, and Christian Benteke struck 10 minutes from time to hand Villa all three points in the key relegation clash.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two sides.
Match statistics:
Aston Villa
Shots 11
On target 5
Possession 55%
Corners 8
Fouls 11
Reading
Shots 9
On target 3
Possession 45%
Corners 3
Fouls 11
Was the result fair?
On the balance of play you would have to say yes, just. In truth, the match could have gone either way with both sides creating opportunities, but Villa did dominate possession for large periods and looked the most likely in the final period of the match. Reading, meanwhile, will be left to rue another missed chance to secure three points.
Aston Villa's performance
6/10. It was hardly a vintage performance from Paul Lambert's side this evening, but the character of their players cannot be called into question. Their young midfield were comfortable in possession and with Benteke in attack they always had that physical threat in the final third.
Reading's performance
6/10. Reading again put on a decent showing this evening, but it has meant nothing once more with the Royals leaving Villa Park empty handed. Led by Jason Roberts in attack, they perhaps should have opened the scoring with a number of chances, but it just would not fall for them as another lesson in Premier League football was learnt.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Christian Benteke: Jason Roberts had my vote with 79 minutes on the clock, but the Belgian striker's performance in the final 15 minutes could not be ignored. His powerful header secured all the points for the home side and his physical presence caused the Reading defence a host of problems. As his decision-making improves he could emerge into a top Premier League striker.
Biggest gaffe of the match
Adam Le Fondre had a glorious opportunity to put Reading ahead early in the second period, but he headed over when it appeared easier to score. It would have changed the entire feel of the second half.
Referee performance
Lee Probert had a successful 90 minutes of action this evening. He refused to award a penalty to the home side despite calls on a number of occasions, while he was prepared to let play flow in the correct areas. He has quickly emerged into one of the best referees in England's top division.
What next?
Aston Villa: Villa face another relegation six-pointer against Queens Park Rangers at the weekend. A match that will see Harry Redknapp take charge of his first home league match for the R's.
Reading: The Royals welcome Premier League leaders Manchester United on Saturday as they attempt to return to winning ways.
Matt Law
