James Milner held his nerve seal a stunning win for Villa against bitter local rivals Birmingham.
Milner netted from the penalty spot after referee Martin Atkinson adjudged Roger Johnson to have fouled Gabby Agbonlahor.
The Blues players were outraged at Atkinson's ruling but it mattered not to Martin O'Neill and his men, who now sit level on points with fourth-placed Tottenham.
Defeat was a little harsh on the second city's second team as Villa stopper Brad Friedel kept his side in the game with a string of superb saves.
But, Joe Hart was also in fine form at the opposite end of the pitch as he kept out efforts from Stiliyan Petrov, and near the end, Emile Heskey.
Friedel will walk away with the man-of-the-match champagne as he denied Cameron Jerome and brilliantly kept out a late effort from Lee Bowyer.
Villa survived many a scare in the game and they nearly conceded right at the end but a Blues effort was cleared off the line.
The win for the Claret and Blue puts them right in the hunt for a spot in next season's Champions League.
They now face fixtures against Manchester City and Blackburn, with the game at Eastlands seemingly set to decide Villa's end of season fate.