Aston Villa slump under Steve Bruce continues with home defeat by Barnsley

Aston Villa’s slump under Steve Bruce continued as they crashed to a sixth defeat in eight winless Championship games, losing 3-1 to Barnsley at Villa Park with Tom Bradshaw scoring twice for the visitors.

Adam Armstrong had put Barnsley ahead with a penalty after 25 minutes when Jordan Amavi felled Marley Watkins. Bradshaw added a second with a clever flick but Jonathan Kodjia pulled a goal back immediately. However, Bradshaw restored Barnsley’s lead in the 58th-minute when he capitalised on poor Villa defending.

Bruce reacted by saying his players had to start earning their huge wages. “The reason why we’ve got one of the biggest wage bills in the Championship is we’ve got to deal with that mentality and expectation,” he said. “That’s why they get paid more than anyone else in this division. I’m convinced they are made of the right stuff and can get better, and it’s my responsibility to make them better.”

He added: “This is the best and biggest club I’ve had in 20 years in management and arguably the toughest one to turn around. Given time I know for a fact I’ll do it. It’s difficult but that’s when you show your mettle, roll your sleeves up, batten down the hatches and get ready to try and ride the storm. Every man and his dog will have their say but I’m determined. I know what’s required in this division, I’ve been around it long enough.”

When Bruce was asked if he was concerned about being dragged into the relegation battle, he said: “I don’t fear that but you can’t dismiss it.”

Barnsley’s manager, Paul Heckingbottom, said “We use the fact we’re a small group of players, staff and have a small budget as part of our power and what we are. This is us, what we’re given, and how we’re going to excel. What can we do better than everyone else? We don’t shy away from what we’re short of, but what we do is use that to work out to how to bridge the gap.

“We had to work really hard for that. I think we had to show everything. We’re an aggressive team, we don’t play with any fear.”

Brighton missed the chance of overhauling Newcastle and were denied an eighth straight home win after being held to a 1-1 draw at by Ipswich Town. Luke Chambers had headed the visitors in front after nine minutes but Tomer Hemed equalised from the penalty spot after Emyr Huws had fouled Bruno.

Brighton’s manager Chris Hughton said: “We certainly didn’t play at the level we know we can. Ipswich are a a good side but by the time we got the equaliser we deserved it. Our levels were not as good as they have been. It became probably too open a game in the second half.”

In a game of wildly swinging fortunes at Pride Park, Cardiff City dented Derby County’s play-off hopes with a 4-3 victory thanks to a last-minute penalty by Joe Ralls.

Fulham prepared for Sunday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie against Tottenham with a 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage after the visitors had taken an early lead through Pajtim Kasami. Tom Cairney and Lucas Piazon replied for Fulham but Ben Brereton levelled matters before a 72nd-minute own goal by Jack Hobbs gave Fulham the points.

Fulhjam’s manager Slavisa Jokanovic was pleased with the victory but admitted his side did not show up well. He said: “We didn’t play a brilliant game. But after a very soft start we had so many problems but we overcame them. The last two games at home we have conceded four goals, both oppositions put us under so many stressful situations. We need to do better, we need the fans.”

Wigan had only one attempt on goal in their match against Wolverhampton Wanderers but Jake Buxton’s 88th-minute effort was enough to snatch victory and boost their survival hopes. The visitors won a corner with two minutes left and from Max Power’s delivery Buxton headed home to consign Wolves to a third successive defeat. The Wigan manager. Warren Joyce. praised his side for a result that had been earned by “effort, endeavour, bravery and guts”.

Blackburn’s manager, Owen Coyle, was highly critical of the match officials after his side lost away at Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 thanks to two first-half goals by Vincent Sasso.

After Rovers had had two goals disallowed and Hope Akpan sent off late-on, Coyle said: “We don’t control what decisions are given and the stuff that went against Blackburn Rovers tonight was beyond belief. Sometimes you can take an odd decision here and there, but for three or four huge decisions to be given against the football club …”

Coyle believed both of the disallowed goals should have been awarded and added: “It is not a question, the ball is clearly over the line. I knew in real time and I have seen it back, the ball is clearly over the line. The linesman that has not seen how clearly that is over the line has then deemed – when Glenn Loovens has headed the ball off Hope Akpan’s chest – that to be a handball.

“We have scored three good goals tonight, but that has resulted in only one being awarded. Followed on from [that is] the fact that young Sam Gallagher is sat in there with 12 stitches across a deep gash on his knee that was punished with a yellow card.”

Reading’s manager, Jaap Stam, praised his players’ resilience after they came from 2-1 behind to defeat Brentford 3-2 with goals from John Swift, Danny Williams and Roy Beerens to maintain their play-off hopes. “You wonder how the team will respond to going behind,” Stam said. “But we’ve been down before and come back to win a game, so we knew the mentality was there, and spirit in the team was very good

“We’ve shown it in home games and in away games. We were 2-0 down at Bristol City and won 3-2. There is a lot of belief in the players in what they can do and what they can achieve.”