Lewis Grabban stepped off the bench to save Aston Villa last night against Preston North End, with the on-loan striker’s penalty securing a vital point for Steve Bruce’s side.

Villa were held to a 1-1 draw by Preston, with Grabban’s second-half penalty – his first goal in claret and blue – cancelling out Tom Barkhuizen’s first-half opener.

Bruce’s side once again failed to rediscover their best form without the likes of Albert Adomah and Jack Grealish, with the duo absent through injury and depriving Bruce of his key attacking outlets.

Following the draw, Bruce told the Birmingham Mail that the pitch at Villa Park was causing his side problems, forcing them to play a little bit more direct against Preston.

Villa’s supporters were less than impressed with Bruce’s excuse, highlighting how well Preston had played the Villa Park pitch over the course of the 90 minutes.

Following Bruce’s comments, here is how Villa’s supporters reacted…