Aston Villa 2 Ipswich 0 - Report

The winger’s brace, his 10th and 11th goals of the campaign, helped Steve Bruce’s men record their third win on the spin and ninth in 12 matches.

Adomah opened the scoring when he flicked the ball over Ipswich keeper Bartosz Bialkowski from close range.

And he then sealed the three points midway through the second half, racing clear to finish after latching onto Robert Snodgrass's through ball.

Analysis

Ten of Adomah’s goals have come in the Championship and he is now halfway to becoming the first Villa player since Peter Withe to score 20 in a league campaign.

The 29-year-old has meanwhile scored five during Villa’s three-match unbeaten run, his contribution made all the more important by the lack of striking options currently available to Bruce due to injuries to Jonathan Kodjia, Scott Hogan and Gabriel Agbonlahor.

His opener sparked what to that point had been a rather tepid performance from the hosts. From that moment on they were worthy winners and Adomah’s second, on 66 minutes, meant they saw out the victory with ease.

Villa remain fourth in the table but, briefly at least, moved to within three points of second place. Cardiff and Sheffield United, the teams immediately above them, play later in the weekend.

This was a far from perfect day for Bruce, however, who saw Mile Jedinak depart the game with injury prior to the half-hour mark.

The 33-year-old, who missed the start of the season while recovering from groin surgery, had been making just his second start of the campaign in place of Chris Samba.

Bruce had hinted at making several changes to the starting XI which defeated Sunderland 2-1 on Tuesday evening but Jedinak’s inclusion was the only one.

Alan Hutton glanced a Snodgrass free-kick wide of the post during an otherwise quiet opening quarter-of-an-hour.

Ipswich then thought they have taken the lead on 17 minutes when Sam Johnstone spilled Martyn Waghorn’s corner and Joe Garner smashed the ball into the roof of the net. But referee Tony Harrington adjudged the striker to have caused the fumble by fouling Villa’s keeper.

That briefly sparked Villa and Keinan Davis shot straight at keeper Bialkowski after being played in by Neil Taylor.

Jedinak’s participation was ended on 26 minutes as he was forced off and replaced by Samba. The Australian international had undergone treatment on an injury only minutes before and was unable to continue.

His departure added to an increasingly unhappy mood at Villa Park, as Ipswich grew in confidence. Grant Ward drilled a shot just over the bar following a powerful run by Wolves loanee Dominic Iorfa.

Villa looked thoroughly disjointed until just past the half-hour mark when they carved out the best chance of the game so far to almost take the lead.

Conor Hourihane played in Adomah on the left and the winger’s first-time cross was headed wide by a stretching Davis.

Soon after Villa were ahead, thanks to build-up which was far less easy on the eye and owed nearly everything to Ipswich’s poor defending.

The visitors wasted several chances to clear a Snodgrass corner before Glenn Whelan eventually forced the ball through to Adomah, who showed patience and composure to lift the ball over Bialkowski as the keeper dived at his feet.

Ipswich went close to finding an instant response but Adam Webster was unable to direct his header from Waghorn’s corner on target.

As it was, Villa went on to enjoy their best period of the game before the break.

Adomah shot over following a swift counter attack, while Hourihane fired straight at Bialkowski from just outside the box.

Ipswich may well have felt hard done by to be trailing at the break. They were almost level early in the second half, when Samba misjudged a Waghorn corner and the ball cannoned off an unsuspecting Garner and over the bar from close range.

The hosts were looking far more fluent in attack, however, with Adomah forcing Bialkowski to save after being played in by Snodgrass. Adomah was then unable to hold his run to stay onside as Onomah looked to send the top scorer through on goal.

But Villa’s top scorer would not be denied his second, which duly arrived on 66 minutes to give his team breathing room.

Snodgrass lofted a through pass from inside his own half and, when a diving Iorfa was unable to cut it out, Adomah raced clear before firing his finish past Bialkowski and in off the post.

Key Moments

36 GOAL Albert Adomah nets his tenth goal of the season to give Villa the lead, lifting the ball over Ipswich keeper Bartosz Bialkowski from close range.

66 GOAL Adomah gives Villa breathing room with his second of the game, latching on to Robert Snodgrass’s through ball and firing in off the post.

Teams

Villa (4-4-1-1): Johnstone, Hutton, Chester (c), Jedinak (Samba 26), Taylor (Elmohamdy 81), Snodgrass, Whelan, Hourihane, Adomah, Onomah, Davis (Grealish 86) Subs not used: De Laet, Lansbury, O'Hare, Steer (gk).

Ipswich (4-4-1-1): Bialkowski, Iorfa (Bishop 77), Chambers, Webster, Knudsen, Connolly, Skuse, Ward (Celina 61), Sears (Huws 61), Waghorn, Garner Subs not used: Spence, Bru, Kenlock, Gerken (gk).