QPR 1 Aston Villa 2 - Report

The winger netted either side of the break as Villa fought back having gone behind to Jamie Mackie’s opener.

Adomah netted his first from the spot with virtually the final kick of the first half after R’s defender Jack Robinson had been penalised for handball.

And the 29-year-old then drilled home the winner just before the hour mark as Villa came from behind to win away for the first time since they beat Arsenal 3-1 on the opening day of the 2013/14 season.

Analysis

The pre-match talk had focused on Villa’s shortage of strikers after they lost both Jonathan Kodjia and Scott Hogan to injury during the international break.

But with Adomah in this kind of form, the pair may not be much missed.

The former Middlesbrough ace now has eight goals to his name in just 15 appearances this season and along with Keinan Davis, Josh Onomah and Robert Snodgrass, formed part of a front four which gave QPR barely a moment’s rest from the half-hour mark onward.

Steve Bruce’s men had begun sluggishly and fell behind to Mackie’s scrappy goal, following some less than stellar defending, on 18 minutes.

But with owner Tony Xia watching from the stands, Villa rallied impressively and the only criticism which might be aimed their way is that they did not win by a wider margin.

Home keeper Alex Smithies played a part in that, saving from both Onomah and Davis when QPR still had the lead.

This was Villa’s seventh win in ten matches and sees them climb back to fifth in the Championship.

It was also their first game without influential skipper John Terry, lost earlier this month to a broken foot.

Villa’s defensive re-jig was not limited to Chris Samba replacing Terry in the heart of defence.

Ahmed Elmohamady was also missing, meaning Bruce handed Neil Taylor a first appearance since September, with Alan Hutton moving across to his more familiar position of right-back.

The fit-again Onomah, meanwhile, replaced Scott Hogan as Villa returned to the attacking line-up which performed so well in the 2-0 win at Preston earlier in the month.

Villa made a bright start, Samba volleying over a Snodgrass free-kick inside the opening five minutes.

But it was the hosts who gradually began to take control and they went ahead on 18 minutes.

It was not a goal Villa, and in particular goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, will want to dwell on for too long.

Johnstone found himself in no-man’s land as he came to collect Luke Freeman’s inswinging corner while, after Joel Lynch had won the first header, several Villa players appeared slow to react. The ball was no more than a foot from the line when Mackie eventually thumped it into the back of the net.

Villa rallied well though and, after Adomah had shot wide from the edge of the box, twice went close to drawing level in the space of a minute.

Top scorer Adomah had the first and better of the opportunities but side-footed with just Smithies to beat after being released by Onomah as Villa broke with pace from the back.

Moments later, Onomah brought a fine one-handed save from the QPR keeper after being played in on the right-hand side of the box.

Snodgrass and then Davis both had shots blocked as Villa began to build up a serious head of steam.

Smithies would be called into action again when Davis showed superb strength to rob Lynch in the box. This time the keeper kept out the Villa man’s left-footed shot with his legs.

The first-half drama was far from finished as Villa continued to pour forward in stoppage time.

Their luck still appeared to be out when Onomah’s shot into the ground bounced up and cannoned off the bar.

Yet moments later they finally got the break their pressure deserved when referee Darren England pointed to the spot, after Snodgrass’s shot struck Robinson’s arm.

Adomah coolly stepped up and fired his spot-kick into the roof of the net to spark wild celebrations from 3,000-travelling supporters. Home supporters meanwhile treated referee England to a chorus of boos as he left the field at the break.

Back level, Villa were then almost ahead within the opening two minutes of the second half, Davis’s header from a Hutton cross passing just the wrong side of the far post.

QPR were second best but still carried a threat and almost retook the lead against the lead when Matt Smith escaped the attentions of Samba and volleyed Jordan Cousins’s cross wide of the far post.

Villa were still looking by far the more dangerous though, Conor Hourihane the next man to go close with a drive which flashed a foot or so over the bar.

It was Hourihane who would provide the assist for Adomah’s second as Villa went ahead. The Republic of Ireland international found the winger on the left-hand side of the box and Adomah, with Davis screaming for the ball in the middle, fired a low shot across Smithies and in off the far post.

Villa’s attacking players were refusing to give the home defenders a moment’s peace and Davis almost created a third when his pressure brought an error from Jake Bidwell but Snodgrass was unable to keep his shot down.

The teenage striker then stabbed an effort wide at the end of another Villa break before Adomah fired straight at Smithies from the edge of the box.

The lead remained at one however and Bruce’s men were given a warning as the game entered the final ten minutes when Smith flashed a header straight at Johnstone.

But a QPR rally never arrived as Villa saw out the win in relative comfort.

Key moments

18 GOAL Villa’s defence is at sixes and sevens as they try to defend Luke Freeman’s corner. Jamie Mackie prods home the opener from almost on the goal line.

30 Josh Onomah brings a fine one-handed save out of R’s keeper Alex Smithies with a low right-footed shot.

39 Another fine save from Smithies, this time with his legs, denies Keinan Davis an equaliser.

45+2 Off the bar! Villa can’t catch a break as Josh Onomah’s shot into the ground bounces up and cannons off the bar.

45+3 GOAL Albert Adomah brings Villa level from the spot, firing into the roof of the net after Jack Robinson is penalised for handball.

58 GOAL Adomah puts Villa ahead with his second of the game. Firing a left-footed shot in off the far post after collecting Conor Hourihane’s pass.

Teams

QPR (3-5-2): Smithies, Baptiste, Robinson, Lynch, Cousins (Washington 63), Luongo (Manning HT), Scowen, Freeman, Bidwell, Smith, Mackie (Sylla 72) Subs not used: Furlong, Wszolek, Wheeler, Lumley (gk).

Villa (4-4-1-1) Johnstone, Hutton, Chester ©, Samba, Taylor, Snodgrass (Jedinak 81), Whelan, Hourihane, Adomah (Bjarnason 90), Onomah (De Laet 86), Davis Subs not used: Lansbury, Grealish, Jedinak, O’Hare, Steer (gk)