'Criminally underrated' - Aston Villa fans hail unsung hero Conor Hourihane

By Jay Williams

Conor Hourihane scored the only goal of the game as Aston Villa beat Swansea City on the road.

Aston Villa moved within three points of the play-off zone with a 1-0 win at The Liberty Stadium.

Hourihane’s second half goal separated the sides, although Orjan Nyland did have to produce a 90th minute penalty save to deny Wilfried Bony an equaliser.

And despite receiving criticism from some Aston Villa fans, Hourihane continues to prove his doubters wrong.

The 27-year-old central midfielder took his tally to five goals for the season with his winner against Swansea.

(photo by Paul Jenkins/Action Plus via Getty Images)

And with six assists to his name as well, the Republic of Ireland international has consistently been performing for the Villans.

Hourihane’s work in midfield is often overlooked and he is a bit of an unsung hero at Villa Park.

But some fans were impressed with his display yesterday and his overall tally for the season.

The former Barnsley midfielder is starting to catch the eye with impressive end product.

Here are a selection of tweets from Aston Villa fans discussing Hourihane’s match-winning performance and influence on the team.

https://twitter.com/KianA51288831/status/1077995500371173376

https://twitter.com/Buntingfootball/status/1078041575677198341