Express & Star

Aston Villa 1 Millwall 0 - Report

Jonathan Kodjia scored the only goal as Villa beat Millwall for a club record 10th straight league win to take another big step towards the Championship play-offs.

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The Ivory Coast international, in for the injured Tammy Abraham, poked home on the half-hour mark to edge Dean Smith’s team past a resilient visiting team.

Kodjia also shot wide in the second half, while Millwall keeper David Martin twice denied Anwar El Ghazi.

The visitors were always in the game but struggled to create chances, Jed Wallace going closest when he brought a first-half save out of Villa keeper Jed Steer.

Analysis

Lee Gregory also hooked over from close range in the closing stages, with Millwall giving Villa a severe physical test.

But like so many other challenges placed in their path over the past 10 games, Smith’s team were able to withstand it as they took another big step towards cementing a play-off spot.

Billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens were in attendance as Villa broke a club record for successive victories which had stood since 1910.

Their place in the top six could be confirmed, depending on results late on Monday.

In addition to being without Abraham, injured in the act of scoring his 25th of the season on Friday, Villa were also without Axel Tuanzebe at the back.

That meant a second start in three games for Mile Jedinak alongside Tyrone Mings in the heart of defence.

Remarkably, the duo represented the fifth different centre-half pairing fielded by Smith during the winning run.

Kodjia, now recovered from a rib injury, came in to replace Abraham up front for his first start since February.

The 29-year-old would net his eighth goal of the season on the half-hour mark to put Villa ahead, though it was far from one-way traffic before then.

Millwall were the first team to register an attempt on target, former Wolves man Wallace taking advantage of space 25 yards from goal to sting the palms of Steer.

The hosts, despite seeing the bulk of possession, were finding it hard to break down a disciplined visiting defence.

That discipline fell apart, however, when Shane Ferguson overhit a pass intended for Jack Cooper to send Kodjia clear.

A heavy first touch probably cost the Ivory Coast international dear, allowing Millwall keeper Martin to rush out and block his shot at close range, the ball ricocheting off Kodjia and wide of the post.

Nevertheless, the visitors suddenly looked rattled and just a minute late Kodjia did put Villa ahead.

The hosts crafted their best move of the match to that point, with John McGinn finding Jack Grealish, who in turn played in El Ghazi on the left-hand side of the box. Kodjia, arriving at the near post, turned the latter’s first-time cross beyond Martin.

He might have had a second before the break when Grealish’s shot deflected into Cooper and the ball bounced to Kodjia eight yards out. But the striker was unable to adjust his feet in time and Martin was able to pounce and gather.

Wallace drilled over from distance as Millwall made the brighter start to the second half.

Yet Kodjia then came close to giving Villa the breathing space they desired when he danced past two defenders and into the box, only to put his finish wide of the far post.

Smith introduced both Conor Hourihane and Andre Green off the bench on the hour mark and the latter sent a shot into the side netting after good work from Grealish.

Millwall seemed to be struggling to get to grips with a blustery wind but remained very much in the game and Villa were left breathing a sigh of relief when Cooper headed wide at a free-kick with Steer, who had vacated his goal, in no-man’s land.

Villa just couldn’t find the second, with Grealish seeing an effort deflect agonisingly wide of the post after running at the visiting defence.

Martin also saved a fiercely struck El Ghazi shot as the clocked ticked into the final 15 minutes. Green then volleyed straight at the keeper after an El Ghazi effort deflected invitingly into his path.

After Gregory had hooked a rare Millwall chance over the bar, Martin denied El Ghazi again, this time after the winger had gone through one-on-one. Green also saw a stoppage time effort deflected over as Villa saw out the win.

Key Moments

30 GOAL Jonathan Kodjia fires Villa in front, turning home Anwar El Ghazi’s cross at the near post.

Villa (4-3-3): , Elmohamady, Jedinak, Mings, Taylor, McGinn, Whelan (Hourihane 60), Grealish, Adomah (Green 60), Kodjia (Davis 76), El Ghazi Subs not used: Elphick, Bjarnason, Lansbury, Sarkic (gk).

Millwall (4-2-3-1): Martin, Romeo (Elliott 89), Pearce ©, Cooper, Meredith (O’Brien 64), Tunnicliffe, Leonard, Wallace, Marshall, Ferguson, Gregory Subs not used: McLaughlin, Williams, Skalak, Amos (gk).