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.
