Aston Villa's stuttering start to the Championship season has continued after being held to a 1-1 draw by Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Friday night.
The Villans trailed to a close-range Jamie Paterson strike when Josh Onomah, via a healthy deflection, levelled things up to earn a point for his side.
City came closest to scoring a winner when hitting the post through Eros Pisano, but in the end the sides were made to settle for a point apiece in the West Country.
Villa started the match on top, coming close to scoring an early goal when Andre Green worked some space in the box to test Frank Fielding with a stinging shot.
The home side enjoyed the first half's best chances, though, forcing opposition boss Steve Bruce to revert from a three-man defence to a back four midway through.
Prior to the tactical tinkering, Paterson had a long-range attempt easily dealt with and Josh Brownhill saw his effort blocked by the arm of John Terry just outside the box.
For all Bristol's possession in dangerous areas they could not do a great deal with it, however, and when Villa wrested back control of the match they should have edged in front.
An in-form Conor Hourihane slipped the ball through for Ahmed Elmohamady to hit first time from a slight angle, but Fielding was quickly off his line to close down the angle and keep his side level.
On-loan midfielder Onomah, who was wayward with a rash attempt in the first half, fared better early in the second when testing Fielding at his front post.
The sides continued to cancel each other out, until Bristol won a free kick right on the edge of the box an hour in which Villa failed to deal with.
Marlon Pack's attempt hit the wall and, after bouncing around inside the box, Paterson was there to tuck past Sam Johnstone into the corner of the net.
Villa were level just over four minutes later thanks to a slice of luck, as Onomah's latest shot took a heavy deflection off Pack and looped over the reach of Fielding.
Hourihane was denied the chance to continue his fine scoring run when his short was blocked in front of goal, while Joe Bryan had a header stopped by Johnstone.
City, without a win since the opening day of the season, were the side looking the more likely to bag a winner as Pisano's miscued cross needed a touch from Johnstone onto the crossbar 13 minutes from time.
There was to be no way through for either side in the remainder, though, meaning a third successive league draw for the Robins, while Villa have just five points from the first 15 on offer.
Daniel Lewis
