Aston Villa manager Dean Smith: Draw was a fair result
Villa boss Dean Smith felt a draw was a fair result after the Midlands derby with Wolves ended in stalemate.
Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa both hit the bar as Villa dominated the opening 45 minutes.
But Wolves stormed back in the second period, with Romain Saiss somehow failing to score from a yard out and Emiliano Martinez denying Conor Coady.
Villa almost won it at the death when Wolves keeper Rui Patricio saved from Watkins and Smith said: “It was the proverbial game of two halves, where we were very good in the first and they were good in the second.
“I was trying to work out if they had upped it or we had dropped off. I think it was a little bit of both.
“The first half was probably as good as we have played since December. We set traps, won the ball back in their half well and hit the woodwork a couple of times.
“In the second half they upped it and we didn’t defend set pieces as well as we should have.
“We were very relieved to see Saiss’ chance go over the bar. Yes, we would have celebrated had Ezri scored at the end but I think it would have been a little unjust, such was their performance in the second half.”
Villa, who remain ninth in the Premier League, were without Jack Grealish for the fourth match running, though Smith believes the skipper has a chance of returning to training this week.
“Hopefully we can get Jack on the grass this week,” said Smith. “I saw him before the game and he said ‘if I get on the grass I’m playing’. I said: ‘I will have to pick you first!’."
