Aston Villa 1 Cardiff City 0 - Report and pictures

And as Villa’s most famous fan, who will one day wear the crown, watched on from the director’s box, Jack Grealish produced a sublime piece of magic to see Villa past Cardiff.

The playmaker’s sensational volley, with five minutes remaining, was unlike anything which went before it in a gruelling game where guts and determination had been the most telling qualities.

Victory in front of HRH Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, moved Villa back to within four points of Cardiff, though their win - and Grealish’s goal - may have been cheered most at Fulham, who now sit in second place.

Yet if Grealish’s goal will undoubtedly take the headlines, goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was arguably Villa’s biggest hero, making four superb saves on a night where the hosts were without captain John Terry through injury.

Boss Steve Bruce then saw Birkir Bjarnason limp off in the warm-up, while Axel Tuanzebe was forced off in the opening 30 minutes.

Yet Villa, who were so dismal in defeat at Norwich on Saturday, kept battling and Grealish’s quality eventually saw them home.

Their automatic promotion hopes, in truth, remain a glimmer. Though this win - and the nature of it - should at least have restored some belief.

The manner of Villa’s defeat at Carrow Road made changes inevitable, though Terry’s absence, due to an ankle injury sustained in the first-half of Saturday’s game, still came as a surprise.

Mile Jedinak replaced the skipper alongside James Chester in the heart of defence.

Two further changes saw Lewis Grabban and Axel Tuanzebe come in for Scott Hogan and the out-of-sorts Neil Taylor in attack and defence respectively.

Bruce was then forced into another switch before kick-off due to an injury sustained by Birkir Bjarnason in the warm-up.

Glenn Whelan came into the starting XI for his first start since March 6, with James Bree replacing him on the bench.

For all the changes, it was Villa who started sharply and went close to taking the lead inside the opening two minutes.

Smart play between Hourihane and Robert Snodgrass ended with the latter playing in Grabban on the right-hand side of the box.

The striker had just Etheridge to beat but with the angle tight, could only fire a right-footed shot into the side-netting.

Tuanzebe, making only his fourth start since joining from Manchester United on loan in January, showed good early strength to rescue a difficult situation under pressure from Mendez-Laing.

But the Cardiff forward, who scored twice in the reverse fixture back in August, then caught the Villa man dawdling to steal possession on the centre-circle.

Kenneth Zohore pounced on the loose ball and set Mendez-Laing racing into the box but the shot, across the face of goal, bounced off the base of the far post.

Tuanzebe’s involvement didn’t last much longer as Villa’s night of injuries continued to bring Bree, who wasn’t even named in the original 18, into the action on 26 minutes.

Albert Adomah hooked a volley wide of the post from a corner but chances remained at a premium, with the physical nature of the contest making it tough for either team to create chances.

Then, in stoppage time, Cardiff went close to taking the lead on three occasions.

Villa were first indebted to Elmohamady for being in the right place at exactly the right time, when Sean Morrison’s low cross was deflected straight at him from point bank range by Whelan.

Whelan came close to another own goal seconds later, when he inadvertently sent a free-kick hurtling toward the net. This time Johnstone made the save, before recovering hias feet to deny Paterson on the follow-up.

Villa were screaming for a penalty within seconds of the restart but replays suggest Joe Bennett had won the ball cleanly from a risky looking challenge on Snodgrass.

Grabban then headed a tough opportunity wide of the post after being teed up by Grealish, before showing sublime skill to beat his man and deliver a cross which Lee Peltier did well to hack away.

Yet for all Villa’s promise, it was Johnstone who had to make the second half’s first big save, denying Zohore with his legs after the hosts had lost concentration at a throw-in.

Bruce introduced Kodjia on the hour mark and the striker brought a sharp reaction save out of Etheridge after showing quick feet to get past Sol Bamba.

Villa’s best chance of the night to that point then fell to Hourihane. Grabban showed excellent vision to pick out his team-mate but with just the keeper to beat, the midfielder prodded the ball wide of the post.

Hourihane would test Etheridge with a fierce drive which the keeper beat away.

But as the game moved into the final ten minutes, Johnstone produced an even better save to deny Mendez-Laing when the winger cut inside an unleashed a venomous strike toward the far corner.

It proved a pivotal moment as, with five minutes to go, Grealish produced a piece of magic to put Villa in front.

Snodgrass’s free-kick was cleared by Morrison and when the ball dropped to Grealish, 25 yards out, he unleashed an unstoppable volley which pinged off the post and in.

Grabban shot wide in stoppage time, while Pilkington headed over for the visitors.

Villa (4-1-4-1): Johnstone, Elmohamady, Chester, Jedinak, Tuanzebe (Bree 26), Whelan, Snodgrass, Grealish, Hourihane (Samba 88), Adomah (Kodjia 60), Grabban Subs not used: Lansbury, Hogan, Onomah, Bunn (gk).

Cardiff (4-3-2-1): Etheridge, Peltier, Bamba, Morrison, Bennett, Gunnarsson, Grujic, Paterson, Hoilett, Mendez-Laing, Zohore (Madine 68) Subs not used: Bruno, Pilkington, Bryson, Ward, Traore, Murphy (gk).