Aston Villa 1 Reading 0 - match report

There were reports that Bent had stormed out of the ground before kick-off and was called back by a club official - later denied by Villa - after he was left out of Paul Lambert's match-day squad.

Lambert made two changes to the side that drew at Arsenal, Nathan Baker replacing Ron Vlaar who failed to recover from a calf injury, and Brett Holman coming in for Karim El Ahmadi.

It was the visitors who started brighter in an end-to-end game with Reading striker Adam Le Fondre wasting a glorious chance in the 10th minute, putting Jobi McAnuff's low cross just wide with an improvised attempt in the six-yard box.

Defender Sean Morrison then headed just wide from a corner minutes later as Reading put pressure on the Villa goal and Brian McDermott's side went close again from another set piece minutes later - the ball eventually cleared after a scramble in the Villa box.

However, the home side then got on top as man-of-the-match Benteke caused endless problems for the Royals defence and forced goalkeeper Adam Federici into a smart save, drilling in a low shot after finding space in the penalty area from Holman's cross.

Benteke was at the heart of all Villa's attacking work and his cross provided Andreas Weimann with the best chance of the first half in the 27th minute, picking him out smartly at the back post but the Austrian blazed over.

Villa went close again five minutes later as Baker headed Barry Bannan's corner down into the turf - the ball bouncing up and over Federici's goal - and Ciaran Clark then glanced a header towards the Reading goal from Bannan's centre as Villa struggled to turn their dominance into goals.

Villa started the second half as they finished the first, on the front foot as Royals defender Adrian Mariappa deflected Weimann's shot wide before Nathan Baker went close from the resulting corner.

Holman then hit the side netting after cutting in from the right-hand side as Villa continued to threaten.

The visitors nearly hit back as Le Fondre was left with a free header from a corner, but the former Rotherham striker couldn't direct his effort on target.

Villa's set-pieces were causing the away side problems and Bannan's corner was met by Clark on the hour mark, but the centre-back's glancing header went agonisingly wide of the post.

Jason Roberts forced Brad Guzan into his first meaningful save in the 66th minute as he wriggled clear of the Villa defence, but the goalkeeper stopped the veteran frontman's low, hard strike with his legs.

Substitute Stephen Ireland rose to win a header from another Bannan cross, but his effort was easy for Federici in the Reading goal before Villa eventually found the net from another corner - this time from Ashley Westwood.

The impressive Benteke rose highest to head home the winner in the 80th minute - as relief rushed around Villa Park.

Nobody celebrated the Belgian's winner more than Paul Lambert on the touchline, as his side lifted out of the bottom three until Wednesday night at least.