Goals:

1-0: Adomah (10, arrived undetected at the back post to tap in Snodgrass cross)

2-0: Onomah (49, tried his luck and his effort deflected off Browning and left Ruiter static on his line)

2-1: Grabban (73, on hand to hook Sunderland back into it after Vaughan’s knock down)

Bookings: None

Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire) – could have awarded a foul in build up to the opener but otherwise had a good game. 7

Attendance: 27, 622

Entertainment: **

Villa Sund

Shots on 5 2

Shots off 3 3

Corners 2 2

Fouls 11 10

Offsides 2 2

ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1): Johnstone 7; Hutton 6, Chester 7, Samba 7, Taylor 6; Whelan 5 (Jedinak 63, 5), Hourihane 6; Adomah 7 (Elmohamady 87), Onomah 6, Snodgrass 7; Davis 6. Subs (not used): Steer, de Laet, Bjarnason, Lansbury, Grealish.

SUNDERLAND (4-1-4-1):

5 Ruiter: One dodgy moment in the first half but also made a couple of decent stops.

5 Matthews: Difficult to criticise him moving into space but he lost the ball for the opener

6 O’Shea: Despite his age he kept plugging away alongside his younger side-kick

6 Browning: Decent enough display against a dangerous Villans attack

6 Oviedo: Went close with an effort before Grabban eventually pulled one back;

7 Gibson: Kept the ball moving and suited the holding role in front of the defence on his own;

5 McManaman: Started brightly enough but didn’t do enough to influence things after that

5 Gooch: Busy enough in the middle of midfield without really causing the Villans any problems

5 Honeyman: Pretty similar night to Gooch in one of the two centre-midfield roles

6 McGeady: After a quiet middle of the match he then sent over the delivery to pull Sunderland back in it;

7 GRABBAN: Lively from start to finish and on the spot to pull Sunderland back in to it

Subs:

Vaughan (for Gooch 63): Knocked down in the area for Grabban to score. 5

Asoro (for McManaman 73)

E Robson (for Gibson 86)

(not used): Steele (gk), Love, Galloway, Beadling.

MAN OF THE MATCH: LEWIS Grabban – continues to find the net and his movement will give Coleman something to work with in the final third.