Analysis: Aston Villa take a step in the right direction - but still blow another big opportunity

Though the near 3,000-strong travelling army packed into one corner of the Bet365 Stadium who loudly applauded Dean Smith and his team off the field left little doubt as to their opinion, upon further reflection it was more the latter than the former.

True, Villa had shown impressive character to overcome the setback of Sam Vokes’s early opener and produced some of their most fluent football for some time in battling back for the draw earned by Albert Adomah’s second-half strike.

But the final result, ultimately, did nothing to aid their already slim play-off hopes, at a stage of the season where wins really are all that matter.

Villa now have just two of them in three months and, though the gap to the Championship’s top six did shrink slightly, to eight points, it is going to require something truly remarkable for them to erase the rest of the deficit between now and May.

Saturday, against a Stoke team in even worse form than themselves, was a great chance to spark such a run. Yet as has so often been in the case over recent weeks, Villa could just not quite grasp it. The match-defining moments, frustratingly once again, did not fall their way. Ultimately, we were left with just another reminder of why they remain a mid-table team.

Instead it was Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland who snatched the limelight, perhaps fittingly, on a day when the home club celebrated the life of theirs and England’s most famous No.1.

Wearing a special green kit, in tribute to Gordon Banks, the 25-year-old pulled off two saves of which the World Cup-winner would have been proud to keep out second-half headers from Tammy Abraham and Tyrone Mings and preserve the point for his team.

The saves meant Villa were denied a victory which would have tasted all the sweeter considering the misfortune they experienced in the opening five minutes.

An injury list which has done more than anything else to derail their campaign quickly got longer when Alan Hutton went down with a knee problem, the Scot being off the field getting treatment and his team a man down when Vokes cleverly back-heeled Sam Clucas’s cross beyond Jed Steer to break the deadlock.

Too often of late such moments have caused Villa to crumble. Here they stood firm, even if it required a few half-time home truths from the head coach to truly kick them into gear.

That in itself should be viewed as encouraging, proof Smith’s words are still being taken on board at a point in the campaign when there might be a temptation for some players to begin focusing on individual rather than team goals.

In the second period they certainly showed the kind of united front needed if they are to turn their form around, with everyone playing their part.

The transformation was best summed up by the fact two of their worst performers prior to the break combined for the leveller.

Anwar El Ghazi, who had hurriedly hit over the bar with just Butland to beat in the first half, sprinted down the left wing before delivering a low pull back which Adomah struck first time into the bottom corner, ending his own almost year-long goal drought.

All that was missing was a winner which would have eased even more pressure on Smith, who opted for his most radical tactical rethink yet by pairing Jonathan Kodjia alongside Abraham in attack.

The second half showed what can happen when the team pulls as one and at least provided the head coach with something to build on, as preparations begin for nine days which will likely define the rest of the season either way, kicking-off with Saturday’s visit of Derby, before trips to Forest and Blues.

The trouble is Villa have shown plenty of these tantalising glimpses before without ever fully igniting into life. Not even the incredible Houdini act against Sheffield United earlier this month was enough to kick-start them. Just one point has followed from the next three games.

Smith and his team might have left the Potteries with more positives to reflect on than for some time but, as always, it is what happens next that really counts.

Their challenge now is to transform perceptions of Saturday’s draw from just another missed opportunity, to the moment they finally began to turn the corner.