Scott Hogan scored his first Championship goal in 11 games as Aston Villa cruised to a 3-0 win against Reading on Tuesday night at Villa Park.
After three Championship games without a win, Aston Villa supporters must have been mopping their brow in relief as Dave Edwards was sent off half an hour into their clash with Reading on Tuesday night.
The Royals midfielder’s first-half red card paved the way for a comfortable win which ensures that Aston Villa have retained an 11 point gap over seventh placed Bristol City – all but conforming their place in the end of season play-offs.
And a valuable return to winning ways was sealed by Scott Hogan’s feat of opportunist poaching. With Birkir Bjarnason and Conor Hourihane already on the score-sheet, the former Brentford striker nabbed a goal for himself after robbing the ball off Reading goalkeeper Vito Mannone, whose decision to dribble inside his own penalty area was immediately made to look rather silly.
Hogan, who cost Villa a hefty £12 million in January last year according to the BBC, has struggled to live up to that price-tag due to a combination of poor form and infrequent fitness. So no wonder the newly capped Republic of Ireland international was delighted to notch his sixth goal of the league season on Tuesday – and bring an end to an 11-game barren run at the same time.
And Aston Villa supporters were more than impressed with his efforts.
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