Aston Villa 2 Nottingham Forest 1 - Report

The midfielder fired home a 25-yard free-kick on the hour mark as Villa recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.

Albert Adomah had earlier put Steve Bruce’s men ahead with his third goal in two games.

Forest levelled early in the second half through Daryl Murphy but Hourihane ensured Villa took the spoils.

Analysis

There were more than a few nervy moments in the final half-hour as Villa saw out a vital victory, goalkeeper Sam Johnstone producing a brilliant save to keep out Kieran Dowell’s free-kick.

But Villa saw it out to claim three points which moved them up to tenth in the Championship.

Bruce’s team have now taken 12 points from the last six games and the importance of this victory, ahead of games against struggling Burton and Bolton later in the week, cannot be understated.

Aside from the goalscorers, the manager will have been delighted by the performance of Jonathan Kodjia who, in just his third appearance of the season, was a thorn in Forest’s side throughout.

The Ivory Coast international set up Adomah for the opener and then won the free-kick for Hourihane’s winner.

Having made 11 changes for Tuesday’s 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Middlesbrough, Bruce unsurprisingly reverted to the same starting XI which won 3-0 in the league at Barnsley last weekend.

The only change to the 18 from that game was on the bench, where teenager Callum O’Hare replaced the injured Henri Lansbury.

Adomah had been the catalyst for Villa’s success at Oakwell and was again the man to break the deadlock, putting the hosts ahead on 15 minutes.

It had been a sluggish start from Villa, with Forest dominating possession in the time leading up to the goal.

But when Kodjia was allowed to turn and run at goal, his through pass split the visiting defence and Adomah kept his cool to round keeper Jordan Smith and slot into the empty net.

Villa were in the game from then on and Adomah, rightly in confident mood, lashed a long-range effort over the bar soon after.

The winger might have added a second just past the hour mark but fired straight at Smith, after an error by Forest skipper Matt Mills had presented Villa with the ball deep in opponent territory.

Forest were becoming increasingly sluggish and their only notable effort of the half came from Tendayi Darikwa, who fired into the side-netting from an acute angle.

As it was the visitors would equalise with their first attempt on target, seven minutes into the second half.

Indecision in the Villa backline allowed Murphy to turn Terry and fire past Johnstone to level the scores.

From being entirely comfortable, Villa were suddenly rocking and Forest almost went ahead when Dowell’s shot was deflected just wide.

It would take the spark of Kodjia and the brilliance of Hourihane to put Villa back ahead on the hour mark.

Kodjia threatened to run through the entire Forest defence before being cynically dragged back by Ben Brereton 25 yards out. Hourihane took advantage of a big gap to the side of Smith’s wall to drive home the free-kick.

Back ahead, Villa still looked shaky at the back and got a let-off when Murphy directed a corner inches over the bar.

Villa continued to cause their own problems. Both Glenn Whelan and Robert Snodgrass lost possession in dangerous areas, while James Chester was a little fortunate to get away with a challenge on Dowell on the edge of the box.

Both Dowell and substitute Zach Clough had efforts blocked as the game entered the final ten minutes.

Johnstone was then called into action, palming away a Dowell free-kick which looked destined for the top corner. But it was to be Villa’s day.

Key Moments

15 GOAL Albert Adomah nets his third in two games, latching on to Kodjia’s through ball and rounding the keeper to score.

52 GOAL Daryl Murphy levels for Forest, taking advantage of indecision in the Villa backline to fire past Sam Johnstone.

60 GOAL Villa back ahead. Conor Hourihane fires home a free-kick.

Teams

Villa (4-4-2) Johnstone, Elmohamady, Chester, Terry ©, Taylor, Snodgrass (Hutton 87), Whelen, Hourihane, Adomah, Kodjia (Hogan 79), Davis (Onomah 72) Subs not used: Samba, Bjarnason, O’Hare, Steer (gk).

Forest (4-2-3-1): Smith, Darikwa, Worrall, Mills, Traore, Bridcutt, Bouchalakis (Osborn 66), Brereton (Clough 75), Dowell, McKay (Carayol 62), Murphy Subs not used: Lichaj, Mancienne, Cummings, Henderson (gk).