Aston Villa 1-0 Leeds United

Lewis Grabban has scored 17 Championship goals this season, 12 of them coming on loan at Sunderland during the first half of the season

Aston Villa secured their place in the Championship play-offs and boosted their automatic promotion hopes with victory over mid-table Leeds United.

Villa deservedly went in front when Lewis Grabban powerfully headed in Jack Grealish's cross from six yards.

Glenn Whelan cleared Kalvin Phillips' shot off the line as Leeds improved but Grabban, Jonathan Kodjia and Albert Adomah all had chances for the hosts.

Villa's victory leaves them two points behind second-placed Fulham.

• Relive Aston Villa's win over Leeds

The Cottagers play their game in hand at home to Brentford on Saturday, while third-placed Cardiff are a point ahead of Villa but have played two games less than Steve Bruce's side.

However, Villa, who handed striker Kodjia a first start since late October's second city derby with Birmingham after injury, did all they could to keep up the pressure on their two promotion rivals. They can now concentrate on trying to overtake them in their final three games after guaranteeing their play-off spot and a likely home tie in the second leg of the semi-finals.

Ezgjan Alioski gave them an early scare when he forced Villa keeper Sam Johnstone to tip over his 20-yard drive in the opening minutes but, after that, the home side gradually took control.

Robert Snodgrass's shot was well saved by Leeds keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell before Grealish retrieved an over-hit cross from Ahmed Elmohamady and floated it back into the box for Grabban to score his 17th Championship goal of the season and fifth for Villa.

Leeds posed more of a threat after the break but Phillips' effort was the closest they came to an equaliser.

Grabban, Kodjia and Adomah all had shots saved by Peacock-Farrell, but Villa held on to claim a 14th home league win this season, the first time they have achieved that since 1983-84.

Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce told BBC WM:

"We've done enough to win the game. It was never a classic, but we've got over the line.

"After a big game against Cardiff, this is now back to back wins, which is always important.

"We got the job done, but there were some tired bodies out there."

Leeds United boss Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Leeds:

"In the second half, we wanted more control of the game but we couldn't get that goal to get us back in it.

"Bailey made big saves when we got stretched and the young defenders, Tom Pearce, Paudie O'Connor and Matthew Pennington were excellent.

"There may be more players put in before the end of the season as we've said we want to carry a smaller squad next season."

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Aston Villa

• 1Johnstone
• 27El Mohamady
• 5Chester
• 15Jedinak
• 3Taylor
• 6Whelan
• 7Snodgrass
• 10Grealish
• 18OnomahSubstituted forSambaat 85'minutes
• 45GrabbanSubstituted forHoganat 78'minutes
• 22KodjiaSubstituted forAdomahat 67'minutes

Substitutes

• 4Samba
• 8Lansbury
• 9Hogan
• 14Hourihane
• 16Bree
• 31Bunn
• 37Adomah

Leeds

• 30Peacock-Farrell
• 15Dallas
• 37O'Connor
• 5Pennington
• 46Pearce
• 10AlioskiSubstituted forGrotat 66'minutes
• 23Phillips
• 25Vieira
• 19Hernández
• 7RoofeSubstituted forLasoggaat 78'minutes
• 45EkubanSubstituted forSáizat 45'minutes

Substitutes

• 1Lonergan
• 8Anita
• 9Lasogga
• 11Grot
• 14O'Kane
• 21Sáiz
• 50Struijk

Referee:

Tony Harrington

Attendance:

33,374

Match Stats

Home TeamAston VillaAway TeamLeeds

Possession

Home53%

Away47%

Shots

Home17

Away9

Shots on Target

Home5

Away2

Corners

Home5

Away4

Fouls

Home7

Away10

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Aston Villa 1, Leeds United 0.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+4'

Second Half ends, Aston Villa 1, Leeds United 0.

Posted at 90'+3'

Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 90'+3'

Foul by Ronaldo Vieira (Leeds United).

Posted at 90'+2'

Foul by Glenn Whelan (Aston Villa).

Posted at 90'+2'

Ronaldo Vieira (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 89'

Offside, Aston Villa. Ahmed El Mohamady tries a through ball, but Robert Snodgrass is caught offside.

Posted at 87'

Foul by Glenn Whelan (Aston Villa).

Posted at 87'

Ronaldo Vieira (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 87'

Attempt blocked. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.

Posted at 85'

Robert Snodgrass (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 85'

Foul by Pierre-Michel Lasogga (Leeds United).

Posted at 85'

Foul by Glenn Whelan (Aston Villa).

Posted at 85'

Samuel Sáiz (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Substitution

Posted at 85'

Substitution, Aston Villa. Christopher Samba replaces Josh Onomah because of an injury.

Posted at 82'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Posted at 81'

Delay in match Josh Onomah (Aston Villa) because of an injury.

Posted at 80'

Attempt blocked. Robert Snodgrass (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Josh Onomah.

Substitution

Posted at 78'

Substitution, Leeds United. Pierre-Michel Lasogga replaces Kemar Roofe.

Substitution

Posted at 78'

Substitution, Aston Villa. Scott Hogan replaces Lewis Grabban.

Posted at 77'

Foul by James Chester (Aston Villa).

Posted at 77'

Samuel Sáiz (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 76'

Attempt missed. Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Robert Snodgrass with a cross following a set piece situation.

Posted at 75'

Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 75'

Foul by Pablo Hernández (Leeds United).

Posted at 75'

Attempt saved. Albert Adomah (Aston Villa) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jack Grealish with a through ball.

Posted at 74'

Robert Snodgrass (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 74'

Foul by Tom Pearce (Leeds United).

Posted at 72'

Attempt missed. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.

Posted at 71'

Josh Onomah (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 71'

Foul by Kemar Roofe (Leeds United).

Posted at 68'

Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Tom Pearce.

Substitution

Posted at 67'

Substitution, Aston Villa. Albert Adomah replaces Jonathan Kodjia.

Substitution

Posted at 66'

Substitution, Leeds United. Jay-Roy Grot replaces Ezgjan Alioski.

Posted at 64'

Attempt blocked. Pablo Hernández (Leeds United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kalvin Phillips.

Posted at 64'

Attempt missed. Kemar Roofe (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Stuart Dallas with a cross.

Posted at 61'

Offside, Aston Villa. Jonathan Kodjia tries a through ball, but Lewis Grabban is caught offside.

Posted at 61'

Attempt saved. Lewis Grabban (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Robert Snodgrass.

Posted at 60'

Attempt missed. Ezgjan Alioski (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.

Posted at 58'

Attempt missed. Ronaldo Vieira (Leeds United) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Samuel Sáiz following a corner.

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