Aston Villa took a huge step towards Premier League safety by beating West Ham United 1-0 this afternoon.

Tom Cleverley gave the Villans the lead when he tapped in from Jack Grealish's pass.

Enner Valencia had a goal ruled out for West Ham in the second half, but they rarely threated as Tim Sherwood's side held on to claim the points.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at Villa Park.

Match Statistics:

ASTON VILLA:
Shots 14
On Target 5
Possession 58%
Corners 2
Fouls 6

WEST HAM:
Shots 5
On Target 1
Possession 42%
Corners 6
Fouls 13

Was the result fair?

Aston Villa were good value for the three points this afternoon. They dominated from the start and put the West Ham defence under a great deal of pressure throughout the first half. The Hammers struggled to keep hold of the ball and it was no surprise when Cleverley gave his side the lead. Despite an improved showing in the second half, West Ham eventually ran out of steam and they did not create enough chances to deserve to get anything out of the match.

Aston Villa's performance

Villa made a bright start to the match and they created several decent openings, while controlling the ball for long periods. It was a moment of brilliance from Grealish which led to the opening goal, as his strong run into the box set up Cleverley for a simple finish and his third goal in three games. They seemed to sit back after the break and were unsure whether to press for a second goal or defend what they had. However, they eventually managed to regain their composure and finished the match strongly. The final whistle was greeted by huge cheers from the supporters and it could be enough to keep them up, as they now sit four points clear of the relegation zone with two games left to play.

West Ham's performance

Sam Allardyce will be disappointed at how his team played, as they never looked like winning the match. They got off to a bad start and could easily have found themselves behind prior to Cleverley's strike. When they did manage to get on the ball, they gave it away far too cheaply and a header from James Collins proved to be their only effort on target. There will be complaints that Valencia's goal should not have been disallowed, but it does little to mask another poor performance from the Hammers, who have lost their way since the turn of the year.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Tom Cleverley: The England midfielder is certainly a divisive figure, but there can be little argument over his recent form. He scored for the third straight game to give Villa a huge win and he was involved in many of their best moves, while also being reliable on the ball throughout.

Biggest gaffe

Gabriel Agbonlahor probably should have scored a second goal for Villa in stoppage time, when he raced clear and prodded the ball wide of the post. He was being put under pressure by Aaron Cresswell, but a player of his quality must be finding the net at such vital times.

Referee's performance

Lee Mason may come in for some stick after Valencia's goal was disallowed, when it seemed as if the striker was being played onside. He did not have too many more difficult decisions to make and was only forced to hand out a couple of bookings all afternoon.

What next?

Aston Villa: Villa are back in action next Saturday with a trip to Southampton.

West Ham: The Hammers welcome Everton to Upton Park next Saturday.