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Steve Bruce not dreaming of Aston Villa Wembley date yet

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Steve Bruce praised his Villa players for their resilient display and felt it was important to keep a clean sheet and take an advantage into the second leg.

Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has warned his players not to start dreaming of Wembley despite taking a priceless lead into their Sky Bet Championship play-off semi-final with Middlesbrough.

Mile Jedinak's 15th-minute header at the Riverside handed the Midlanders a 1-0 lead to take into the return leg at Villa Park on Tuesday, but Bruce is taking nothing for granted.

He said: "We are pleased. Listen, all the cliches are going to come out, aren't they? Of course. We know the Championship is riddled with strange things.

"We have given ourselves a little advantage, a small advantage, but we're winning 1-0 at half-time."

Jedinak's effort, as he glanced home a Jack Grealish corner, ultimately won the day but it was Villa's game-management, led by vastly-experienced skipper John Terry, which saw them home.

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Highlights from the Sky Bet Championship play-off semi final first leg between Middlesbrough and Aston Villa.

Only a fingertip save by Boro keeper Darren Randolph denied Robert Snodgrass a second goal.

Bruce said: "That would have been crucial. That was a great save. I think if that had gone in, it might have been all over.

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"I made that decision to try to get experienced players in the door so they could handle what Aston Villa throws at them. I thought it was vitally important that they can handle Aston Villa.

"That was the reason for going for the experience of [Glenn] Whelan, [Ahmed] Elmohamady, John Terry, of course, Mile - they all handle playing under pressure for a big club.

"When you're asking them to play in big semi-finals like tonight, then you need them to come to the party and, to a man, they did. I thought they were terrific."

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