Aston Villa 0-1 Ipswich Town

Emyr Huws scored his first Ipswich goal in only his second appearance since joining on loan from Cardiff

Emyr Huws scored a late winning goal as Ipswich Town ended their five-match winless run in the Championship with a dramatic victory at Aston Villa.

The on-loan Cardiff City midfielder turned home David McGoldrick's cross for his first goal for Town, to leave Steve Bruce's Villa winless in eight.

Huws' effort came moments after McGoldrick had cleared a header from Villa forward Scott Hogan off the line.

Birkir Bjarnason had earlier gone even closer for Villa, hitting the bar.

On a day when Neil Taylor made his debut, and fellow January signings Conor Hourihane, Hogan and Bjarnason made their home debut, Villa's first home defeat of the season sent them slipping to 16th in the table, seven points clear of safety.

Ipswich climbed above Villa to 13th after their first league victory over Villa since March 1994.

After Hourihane had tested Ipswich keeper Bartosz Bialkowski early on, Bjarnason then lashed his shot against the angle of bar and post.

But after a goalless first half, Ipswich improved, Jordan Spence going just wide from a set-piece before McGoldrick cut in from the left to slide a low ball into the middle which former Birmingham City loan man Huws finished off.

McGoldrick tried to double the away side's lead, but his ambitious curling effort went just over the bar,

Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce:

"It's tough at the minute. We certainly didn't deserve to lose. We had some really good opportunities and didn't take them.

"Once again we made one mistake and we were punished. Hopefully we have fallen as far as we can because the next few games are going to be important.

"It is time to batten down the hatches and face the flak. But we need to take some of the chances we are creating.

"The Ipswich goal was an individual mistake. Unfortunately every time we make a mistake we are punished. We now have to find some form to get a win to restore the confidence in the team."

Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy:

"It was a great win. I have never doubted the character of the team.

"We have always been good at disrupting teams and regaining the ball, as we proved against Villa.

"Huws has made a real difference to the team since he joined us from Cardiff. He wants to play and he took a cut in wages to play football. That tells you a lot about him as there are not too many players who would do that.

"The win is a big boost for me, the team, the club and Marcus Evans, who gets plenty of flak despite sticking in £6m a year to keep the club going."