Clayton Donaldson scored twice to cancel out Aston Villa's early two-goal lead and earn Sheffield United a 2-2 draw in Saturday's Championship clash at Villa Park.

The Villans were flying when Mile Jedinak added to Albert Adomah's penalty opener with just nine minutes played, but the Blades offered a quick response in the West Midlands.

Former Birmingham City striker Donaldson found the net twice to take his tally for the season to four league goals, ensuring that the two sides remain locked on 38 points in the battle for a playoff spot.

Adomah converted from the spot early on after Richard Stearman needlessly lunged in on Keinan Davis inside the box, before Jedinak climbed highest to convert a Robert Snodgrass cross soon after.

Donaldson, given the nod over Billy Sharp in attack this evening, opened his account from the next attacking move by bringing down a long ball and chipping it over Sam Johnstone with superb technique.

United had been knocking on the door for a second when Donaldson doubled his tally, taking advantage of some slake Jedinak play to fire home the loose ball.

The end-to-end feel to the first half continued as John Lundstram tested Johnstone, and the second half picked up from where the first one left off as Johnstone was again required to keep out Mark Duffy.

Davis then turned the ball over the bar from a promising position, while the division's top scorer Leon Clarke nodded a cross wide up the other end when he should have been burying it.

The second half ultimately failed to live up to the excitement from the first, however, with neither side able to create any further clear-cut openings as the spoils were shared.

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Johnstone; Elmohamady (Hogan 73'), Chester, Jedinak, Taylor; Snodgrass (Da Laet 69'), Hourihane, Whelan; Adomah, Grealish, Davis (Agbonlahor 73')

Sheffield United (3-4-2-1): Moore; O'Connell, Stearman, Carter-Vickers; Baldock, Basham, Lundstram, Stevens; Duffy (Carruthers 74'); Donaldson (Sharp 74'), Clarke