Super sub Michael Hefele rescued a dramatic point for Huddersfield Town less than a minute after going on at pumped-up Villa Park

It looked as though Ross McCormack, the man Town fans love to hate, had stuck the boot in once again as the busy Brummies sought a second successive win.

The £12m signing from Fulham scored his first goal for his new club midway through the first half.

Villa could, and should, have had more than McCormack’s header to show for their dominance up to the break.

WATCH: Huddersfield Town players celebrate with their fans after the 1-1 draw at Aston Villa

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But battling Town made a much better fist of things in the second half, and Nahki Wells hit a post from a free-kick before Hefele struck on 87 minutes to stun the home fans in a 34,924 crowd. He’d been on the field only a minute!

David Wagner made just one change as he attempted to maintain Town’ flying start to the Championship campaign, recalling Jack Payne, the match-winner at Newcastle United on Saturday, in place of Nahki Wells, the scorer of Town’s opener at St James’ Park.

Wells, who Wagner says is still working his way back to full match fitness after a knee injury, was among the substitutes as Town made their first visit to Villa Park since 1987/88 to face a home side unchanged after Saturday’s 3-0 win over Rotherham United.

The game marked a return to the impressive Birmingham ground for Town’s former Villa midfielder Jonathan Hogg, aiming to build on a bright start to the season, but there was no place in Roberto Di Matteo’s squad for former Town loan keeper Jed Steer.

Villa made a busy start, and it took a fine save by on-loan Liverpool stopper Danny Ward to thwart Jordan Ayew before Ashley Westwood fired over from the resultant corner taken by McCormack.

Aston Villa's Jack Grealish and Huddersfield Town's Jonathan Hogg battle for the ball during the Sky Bet Championship clash.
Aston Villa's Jack Grealish and Huddersfield Town's Jonathan Hogg battle for the ball during the Sky Bet Championship clash.

The former Leeds United frontman then fired a free-kick into the Town wall, and while Aaron Tshibola headed home as McCormack flighted in the rebound, he was well offside and referee Scott Duncan ruled the effort out.

Midfielder Tshibola got in another header from another McCormack delivery, this time a free-kick, after 10 minutes, but the ball flew over the bar and Town, who had been under the cosh, were able the breath more easily for a spell.

Di Matteo’s men were using the aerial route with regularity, but Rudy Gestede was off target from Aly Cissokho’s free-kick delivery, before Town counter-attacked and Rajiv van La Parra drew a 17th-minute save from Italian Pierluigi Gollini.

Town, however, were struggling to impose themselves on the game, and too often seemed to be playing hopeful long balls rather than taking the normal pass and move approach which gave Newcastle problems.

Villa were dominant, and deserved the 25th-minute lead provided by McCormack, who has so often been a thorn in Town’s side down the years and gleefully ran towards the visiting fans after heading home from close range after Jack Grealish miscued a shot.

Ross McCormack celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game for Aston Villa against Huddersfield Town.
Ross McCormack celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game for Aston Villa against Huddersfield Town.

It was all a bit too frantic for Town, who were struggling to find any real rhythm and to cut off Villa’s supply lines, and there was another let off when Ayew glanced a header wide from Gestede’s cross.

Gestede was guilty of a glaring miss on 40 minutes, when he headed over from McCormack’s cross with the goal gaping, and Town skipper Mark Hudson, freshly booked for the third time in as many matches for a foul on Grealish, blocked an Ayew shot on the line, with Town relieved to make the break only one down.

Town began the second half with Sean Scannell on for Joe Lolley, meaning a disappointingly early end to the childhood Villa fan’s evening, and while Wagner’s side looked a little more assured, they were struggling to make much impression up front.

Ayew lashed another shot well over after a partial Town clearance as Villa continued to look the more menacing, and Wagner’s response on 56 minutes was to replace Payne with Wells, who forced keeper Gollini to scramble clear as he chased down the ball after an Aaron Mooy shot was blocked.

Aston Villa's Rudy Gestede and Huddersfield Town's Tommy Smith battle for the ball during the Sky Bet Championship clash.
Aston Villa's Rudy Gestede and Huddersfield Town's Tommy Smith battle for the ball during the Sky Bet Championship clash.

Elias Kachunga came agonisingly close with an inventive overhead kick which had Gollini stretching to his left to paw the ball away, and Town’s more threatening play meant both sets os fans turned up the volume, producing a great atmosphere.

A neat passage of play involving Scannell, Kachunga and Mooy teed up Wells, but Gollini reacted well to smother at the Bermudian’s feet, while at the other end, Ward made a fine save from a powerful Gestede header.

Town came close again after 80 minutes, when Wells curled a 25-yard free-kick against the left-hand post.

Then Hefele, just introduced for Chris Lowe with the clock ticking down and Town eager to avoid a first defeat of the Championship campaign, grabbed a dramatic equaliser as he rushed towards Gollini and forced the keeper into a kicked clearance which rebounded off him into the net.