Analysis: Encouraging display whets the appetite for drama yet to come as Aston Villa prepare for play-offs

Steve Bruce’s team knew that, at the very least, they had to beat Derby in order to keep already slender hopes of automatic promotion alive.

They couldn’t yet, ultimately, it proved irrelevant, with Cardiff’s 2-0 victory over Hull meaning the Bluebirds would have moved out of range regardless of the result at Villa Park.

With Villa having once been in the thick of the race, such a moment would be worthy of far greater introspection, were it not for a fact their fate had looked sealed for some time. Publicly, Bruce and his players never gave up the fight for a top two finish. Privately, there has been an acceptance for several weeks the play-offs remained their sole route back to the Premier League.

On that note, there was plenty of encouragement to be found in Villa’s performance, against a team who they may well meet again before the season is out.

Indeed, as Bruce’s team poured forward, roared on by a sold-out home crowd in the second half, it was like catching a glimpse of what the play-off fixture at Villa Park a fortnight from now will be like. The noise alone was at a volume rarely heard in the Championship.

There is still a chance Derby could be the visitors, depending on results next weekend.

For now, Middlesbrough appear more likely to be Villa’s opponents over the two-legged semi-final.

That may be no bad thing, for while Villa were more than deserving of the draw they earned thanks to Lewis Grabban’s late equaliser, the Rams gave warning of their own ability to do serious damage – assuming they get the point still required to confirm a top six place.

Certainly, there are few other teams who can match their firepower. Cameron Jerome netted the opener and should really have scored another, while both Andreas Weimann and Tom Lawrence had good chances during the course of the game.

Villa, it must be said, created far more opportunities, with both Grabban and Jonathan Kodjia striking the woodwork before the equaliser was eventually plundered with only six minutes remaining. On another day, they would have won comfortably.

Perhaps the biggest positive for Bruce was the rhythm his team found in attack, most notably during the second half, even if at times they remained a little too ponderous and predictable.

Kodjia’s introduction, with a little more than half-an-hour to go, certainly helped, yet it was Grabban who again found the goal – his 20th of the campaign – to earn a share of the spoils.

Even more pleasing for Bruce was the return to action of Alan Hutton after two months out with a hamstring injury.

The Scot’s day began on the bench but was flung into the fray on just 23 minutes after injury forced Neil Taylor, who had been at fault for Jerome’s goal, into an early exit. Any fears of ring rust were quickly forgotten as Hutton became a driving force from the left-back position.

The 33-year-old has enjoyed his finest season in a Villa shirt but knows it will be his last unless promotion is won.

Gabriel Agbonlahor’s departure has already been confirmed and the striker book-ended the afternoon, receiving a special award prior to kick-off and then addressing the crowd during a lap of appreciation.

The latter tradition is typically an end-of-season curtain call. But Villa know this campaign isn’t finished. Not by a long way.

Villa (4-1-4-1): Johnstone 7, Elmohamady 6, Chester 7, Terry 8, Taylor 4 (Hutton 23, 8), Whelan 7 (Onomah 81), Snodgrass 6, Grealish 7, Hourihane 6, Adomah 7 (Kodjia 58 7), Grabban 8. Subs not used: Jedinak, Lansbury, Hogan, Bunn (gk).