ASTON VILLA 1 ALBION 2

Albion's awayday fortunes last season turned in the time it took Stockley Park to tell Michael Oliver he had made a mistake.

The Northumberland official reversed his decision to disallow Glenn Murray’s equaliser at West Ham and the Seagulls never looked back.

Will another rethink involving Oliver prove to be a turning point in the current campaign as a whole?

It was a very fine margin between a moment of history or heartbreak for the Seagulls at Villa Park.

Another unwanted late twist at his famous old venue - where they let slip the Championship title in 2017 and were cruelly left empty-handed a year ago - would have been really hard to take.

It would have added to the recent narrative of points being allowed to get away.

Of hard work and decent quality not being fully rewarded.

They probably deserved to win. Probably - although Dean Smith would disagree with that and did indeed do so several times after the game.

The Seagulls certainly did an awful lot right, with the ball and ringing tactical changes to protect their lead.

They scored two superb goals and were given a 90-minute demonstration of what an asset free agent Danny Welbeck can be.

But this week would be feeling rather different had Oliver not done what he also did at West Ham and reversed a crucial decision.

At the London Stadium, Andre Marriner correctly told him Murray did not handle the ball.

Here, Chris Kavanagh suggested Oliver might review the reasons for Trezeguet crashing to the ground after trying to step inside Solly March.

It was a decision which split opinion but, as at the former Olympic Stadium, it felt like Oliver got it right in the end.

“The win!” Potter said when asked what the best aspect of the afternoon was.

“I think we can be a lot better and I think we have been a lot better “The win is very important and we are delighted with it.

“I think we have probably played better and lost.

“At the same time, we did a lot of things well but, in terms of performance levels, I think we can improve, which is exciting for us.

“Recently we have played well, done lots of good things and not got the reward.”

That they were rewarded here was partly down to the obvious work of Welbeck up front.

He galloped away on to Adam Lallana’s pass and provided the clinical finish – with a chip over Emiliano Martinez – Albion have often lacked this season.

A surer first touch after spectacular work by Tariq Lamptey would have brought him a second.

Lallana miscued a good chance after a stunning 22-pass move which included almost the whole team.

READ MORE: Danny Welbeck says playing 90 minutes was a massive boost

And Maupay needed more composure when his slick combination with Welbeck sent him clear on goal.

That said, there were some remarkable let-offs at the other end.

Adam Webster and Ben White produced some superb last-ditch defending, Maty Ryan made three saves and Trezeguet missed a sitter.

Albion successfully defended a lot of set-pieces, apart from that straight after the break which saw Ezri Konsa level at the far post.

But the goal which ultimately won the game was a classic example of the football we have seen under Potter.

Sixteen passes this time, the last of them seeing Pascal Gross pick out March for a curling right foot finish as Maupay and Welbeck dragged defenders into the six yard-box.

Villa were more concerned about what March’s dangling right foot – or leg – might have done in a chaotic period of added time which almost undid Albion’s good work.

That finale brought the one real downside of the afternoon – a second yellow for Lamptey as he clashed with a wound-up Grealish.

The wing-back was sensational and sustained his level of performance for longer than in many matches. He will be missed when Liverpool visit the Amex.

But it is a game Albion can attack with a spring in their step.

Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Douglas Luiz (Hourihane 75), McGinn, Trezeguet, Barkley (Traore 5, El Ghazi 74), Grealish; Watkins. Not Used: Taylor,Steer, Nakamba, Elmohamady.

Yellow card: Targett, Grealish.

Goals: Konsa 47.

Albion: Ryan; White, Dunk, Webster; Lamptey, Bissouma, Gross (Molumby 90), March; Lallana (Veltman 46), Welbeck, Maupay (Burn 80). Subs Not Used: Connolly, Jahanbakhsh, Alzate, Steele.

Red card: Lamptey (90).

Yellow card: Bissouma, Lamptey.

Goals: Welbeck 12, March 56.

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland).