Aston Villa were fortunate to earn a point against Millwall yesterday, with the Lions spurning several good chances that should have seen them leave with the win.

The draw means Villa drop to fifth and Steve Bruce’s side are now six points behind Cardiff City who are in second place. As well as that, the Welsh side have a game in hand which is against Reading tomorrow.

Whilst it may feel like a missed opportunity, the reality is Villa were lucky to get a point and speaking to the Birmingham Mail afterwards, Bruce acknowledged he made a mistake in dropping Conor Hourihane, who was replaced by Henri Lansbury.

Overall I got it wrong. It's my job. I've left Hourihane out because I just think he needs freshening up a little bit, but he'll be raring to go next week.”

The former Hull boss also admitted the visitors had the better of things at Villa Park.

I think I better be honest, it was a struggle against a very decent Millwall side. They put us under pressure, asked questions of us, put the ball forward, and were genuine, honest. You take the point and move forward, but certainly we have to do better than that."

The Verdict

It was a really disappointing afternoon for Villa, although you have to credit Millwall for that. The Lions have produced many very good performances this season and will be upset they didn’t win.

For Villa, you have to put it down as a bad day at the office after a good run. Fans will appreciate the honesty from Bruce, who isn’t trying to make excuses.

It’s a long season and the festive period is notoriously tough. Villa have got a point they probably didn’t deserve and now they have to forget about it and focus on the crucial clash against Derby next week.

Thoughts, Villa fans? Let us know in the comments below.