Bolton 1 Aston Villa 0: Adam Le Fondre piles more agony on Villa’s promotion hopes
STEVE BRUCE saw Villa’s bid to get back in the Premier League slip and slide into serious trouble thanks to Adam Le Fodre's 20th minute strike.
Bruce and his team are now facing the likely fate of the play-offs, a test of nerve that they frankly failed in the snow at Bolton.
Adam Le Fondre wheels away after putting Bolton ahead in the first halfVilla are seven points behind Cardiff and that gap could reach double figures on Sunday with the Bluebirds visiting Derby.
Bruce groaned: “It was difficult to play any sort of football out there. Bolton adapted to the conditions better than we did.
“We have had a wonderful opportunity with games against QPR and Bolton. We failed in that respect and we deserve to be where we are.
“We are still capable of doing it, we have to do it, but it’s going to be tough now. We will have to win six of the last eight.
Le Fondre was left with a tap in following a backheel from Darren Pratley
“We have had more defeats in the last five days than in the previous three months. We have given the initiative to others at the wrong time.”
Villa were painfully slow out of the blocks and paid when their defence stood frozen — and not just because of the awful conditions.
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Sammy Ameobi’s 19th-minute corner came over, skipper Darren Pratley got a touch at the near post and Le Fondre walked in a simple goal at the far stick.
It could have got even worse as Trotters right-back Jon Flanagan powered forward and had a shot blocked on the line.
Villa needed the brilliance of Jack Grealish to spark them into life. The midfield magician’s hooked 30-yarder was tipped over by keeper Ben Alnwick.
Grealish began to warm to the occasion despite being whacked to the ground by Le Fondre, with Wanderers fighting and scrapping for their lives.
There was a major bust-up when Bolton left-back Andy Taylor crashed into Birkir Bjarnason, sparking the rival benches into a touchline spat.
Robert Snodgrass and Karl Henry were booked, although Taylor escaped without a caution.
Villa were angry and upped their game, with Lewis Grabban picking out Albert Adomah, whose header flew just wide.
Grabban should have equalised from close range but let Alnwick push his shot away when he had left marker Mark Beevers on his backside.
Bruce needed more from his attackers and threw on young Rushian Hepburn-Murphy for Conor Hourihane.
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He had a couple of sighters but Bolton could have easily stolen a second.
Sam Johnstone had to dash from his box to head away from Will Buckley, and Le Fondre poked a 20-yarder just wide.
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Alnwick made a dramatic injury-time stop to keep out left-back James Bree when he met Grealish’s deep cross.
Bolton boss Phil Parkinson said: “It’s a huge win. We have still got a six-point gap.
“Adam is fresh and sharp. If we look at the money Villa have spent on their strikers... he was the best of them on the pitch."