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A John McGinn double salvo and a first goal for Kortney Hause ensured that Aston Villa were the victors against Nottingham Forest this evening.
Words by Harry Trend (@HazaTrand)
A first-half double from John McGinn and a goal from Kourtney Hause gave Villa the win over Nottingham Forest putting them just two points off the play-off places.
After three minutes Jack Colback opened the scoring for the home side, the former Newcastle midfielder’s overhit cross from the left ended up sailing over Jed Steer and went in off the post.
It was unfortunate, and after seven minutes Villa had got one back. McGinn controlled Ahmed Elmohamady’s ball over the top then cut inside Jack Colback prior to beat Costel Pantilimon at the near post.
Minutes later it could’ve been two, Tammy Abraham got away from his marker but headed Conor Hourihane’s corner wide.
McGinn got his second seven minutes after his first, shifting the ball onto his left, the Scotsman’s shot nicked off a Benalouane before finding the bottom corner. In the words of Kristoffer Freiding on twitter, “It’s McGinning to look a lot like play-offs!”
Pantilimon made up for McGinn’s goal when he tipped Abraham’s effort on the turn wide. It seemed a rest from the starting XI on Sunday had done McGinn the world of good. Meanwhile, Millwall fans were singing “there’s only one Jack Grealish” while 2-0 up against Birmingham.
Forest ended the first half and started the second on top. Yohan Benalouane did find the back of the net for the home side but was adjudged to have pushed his man.
McGinn almost had his hat trick before the hour mark when he headed Greens cross from the left wide.
It was a match in which seemed one side would have an opportunity followed by the other. Joe Lolley flashed a half volley wide for Forest.
But Kortney Hause sealed the three points for Villa just after the hour mark. The Wolves loanee chested in Hourihane’s pinpoint delivery for his first goal in a Villa shirt.
The game then became very stop-start, the linesman became injured and had to be replaced, and neither team could get into a passing rhythm. However, this benefited Villa’s back four who held strong against the likes of Antunes Carvalho and Daryl Murphy.
Right at the death we were close to getting a fourth. Jonathan Kodjia could’ve put Villa fourth chipped across goal before McGinn burst past Adlène Guedioura prior to hitting Pantilimon’s left-hand post with his right from an angle.
It seems Villa have started to pick up form at the right time, and with Saturday’s opponents Middlesbrough succumbing to Preston, do you want to bet against us pushing up into those top six spots come the end of the season?
