Head coach Steve Cooper felt it was a step in the right direction for Nottingham Forest as they brought an end to their losing run.
The Reds had suffered five defeats on the spin prior to their clash with Aston Villa, leaving them propping up the Premier League table. But they stopped the rot with a 1-1 draw at the City Ground, and moved above Leicester City in the standings.
Emmanuel Dennis set the hosts on their way with a header on the quarter-hour, only for Ashley Young to level with a long-range strike soon after. Forest had a couple of chances in the second half, but they also had to dig in at times as they came away with a hard-earned point.
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“We need to really focus on the positives from the game,” said Cooper. “It’s not a win, but we didn’t get beat - I think that was important. We’re off the bottom of the league - not in the position we want to be in, but it’s a psychological bit of progress.
“It was a better performance, in terms of standing up and being counted, and getting something out of the game. We had some good individual moments as well.
“This is a moment where we should be focusing on positives more than anything else. That’s how you build belief, that’s how you improve, that’s how you progress.
“Of course, you have to have difficult conversations and grown-up conversations at times as well. But when we don’t lose and we show a committed performance, I think we have to give the players great encouragement from that, because it’s going to be needed.
“Is it my big vision of how I want to play? Is it probably exactly what the supporters want to see? No. But was it the right thing for tonight? I think so."
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