Steve Bruce: More to come from Aston Villa striker Jonathan Kodjia

The 27-year-old rebounded from missing a first-half spot-kick to open the scoring against his former club with a superb header and then played a key role in setting up Villa's second, scored by Conor Hourihane.

Kodjia has now netted 12 goals since his big money move to Villa last summer but Bruce believes the Ivory Coast international still has room for improvement.

"He was devastated at half-time but he has come back and scored a very good goal," he said.

"The more he works for me and the longer he plays here then I still think there is a lot to come.

"He has only been doing it 18 months. He has had a meteoric rise, come from nowhere, playing in France. Without him we would be in trouble."

Kodjia had smashed a 20th minute spot-kick off the bar but Bruce blamed himself, claiming he should have switched penalty takers before the game.

"Taking a penalty against your old team, I should have changed it. I kick myself for that," he said.

"I always think when to comes to psychology the goalkeeper knows what you do. You practice them every day against them. Maybe a different penalty taker, I should have done better on that one."

Victory, Villa's second in four days lifted them nine points clear of the Championship relegation zone and Bruce added: "The first half was a fight. People most have been thinking they should have stayed in tonight and watched Coronation Street.

"It's an amazing game, football because we have played far better than that and lost.

"What we have seen in the last few days is a bit of resilience, two clean sheets. It's the one thing you need to find in the Championship.

"They made it tough for us, every time there is a free-kick they put it in your box and make you defend. We just need to show a bit more football which in the second half we found."