Paul Lambert has been encouraged by Aston Villa's recent performances as they battle against relegation from the Premier League.

The Villans have won just one of their last 11 games and currently languish in 18th position.

However, they are level on points with Wigan Athletic just one place above them.

Lambert has moved to reassure fans that they can beat the drop by stating that there are still plenty of points at stake between now and the end of the season.

"The tempo of play, the movement and endeavour - and the energy and sheer will to win - have been very much in evidence for a number of weeks now," he wrote in News & Record.

"The consistency of our performances is very encouraging as we get deeper into the final third of the season. There are 30 points to play for, which is a hell of a lot of football in which to compete between now and the middle of May.

"If we continue to play the way we're playing, results will come. I'm sure of that."

The Scot takes his team to the Madejski Stadium tomorrow to take on fellow strugglers Reading.