Robert Snodgrass's 90th minute strike gave Aston Villa a crucial 1-0 away to Sheffield United to keep them well in the hunt for automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Moment of quality lights up poor game
This game look destined to end in a stalemate, but with the last minute of the regulation 90 getting underway, Villa's Snodgrass found that something extra to seperate two high-flying Championship teams.
Birkir Bjarnason picked up the ball in midfield and then played the ball out to Snodgrass on the right wing who then drove at Blades wing back Enda Stevens before shifting the ball inside around the edge of the box and then curling the ball left footed beyond Simon Moore into the bottom right corner.
Smash and grab for villa
Villa's on loan goalkeeper from Manchester United, Sam Johnstone will get most people's Man of the Match awards and this really reflects how this game went for the most part. The hosts were very good in the first half and had Villa on the back foot for the most part, with their main chances coming in the first 45 minutes.
United's best chance to score came just five minutes in when Jack O'Connell met a corner from the left wing inside the six yard box, but he saw his header cannon off the crossbar. Then much later in the half they went close in a more spectacular manner with James Wilson putting an overhead kick just wide of the left post after strike partner Leon Clarke had knocked a cross down to him.
Steve Bruce's Villa side did come out of the half-time break with more of a spring in their step however, with Jack Grealish coming very close to giving them the lead in the 53rd minute when he drove at the heart of the United defence before bending one low just wide of the right post with his right foot.
Grealish was then nearly the villain for the villains fans a few minutes later when his failure to clear a corner led to John Fleck finding George Baldock on the left side of the box whose first time left foot power effort was tipped over by Johnstone.
The on loan Red Devil stopper was next seriously tested in the 80th minute when Baldock and fleck reversed roles after the former pulled the ball back from the left side of the box for the latter to try and place one in left footed into the bottom left corner, but Jonhstone got it wide of the post after seeing the ball late.
Even after conceding as late as they did, Sheffield United would get one last chance in stoppage time from a corner. Blades keeper Moore was up for the set piece and the ball went just over his head before Leon Clarke met it, but once again Johnstone was able to tip the ball over the bar.
This dramatic win for villa moves them up to third and just one point outside the automatic promotion places, as for Sheffield United they stay seventh and two points outside of the playoff places after their first defeat of 2018.