Tammy Abraham has now scored in seven successive home games
Championship top scorer Tammy Abraham scored twice to take his tally of goals to 19 for the season as Aston Villa beat bottom club Ipswich Town.
Abraham scored for the seventh home game running when he headed home Conor Hourihane's sixth-minute free-kick.
He then added a second - his 12th goal in those seven home games - with a 61st-minute penalty after Alan Judge had fouled John McGinn - the fourth spot-kick Ipswich have conceded in five games.
Freddie Sears pulled one back for Ipswich on 76 minutes with a searing 25-yard right-foot shot into the top right corner, before an 80th-minute glancing header from Trevoh Chalobah hit the outside of a post.
But Villa hung on for their first home win since the Second City derby against Birmingham City on 25 November.
Dean Smith's side now climb three places back up to 10th, within four points of a play-off place.
Ipswich boss Paul Lambert was making his first return to Villa Park since being sacked as Villa boss in February 2015.
But his side remain seven points adrift of safety, having picked up just one away point out of a possible 21 since he took charge at Portman Road on 28 October - and conceded their 50th league goal of the season.
Centre-half James Collins was impressive for Ipswich, barely a month after being on the brink of a return to Villa, only to cancel his offer of a short-term contract when he suffered an injury in training.
Abraham's scoring streak made him the first Villa player to score in seven successive home games for the club since the great Pongo Waring, external in 1932-33.
Villa boss Dean Smith:
"We could have won 5-0. And it would have been nice to have kept a clean sheet as we've conceded too many goals - particularly at home. But it didn't matter as it was about getting a home win, which we thoroughly deserved.
"It was comfortable at 2-0 until Freddie Sears stuck one away in the top corner. Then we had a five-minute spell when there was a bit of panic trying to get over the line.
"I was disappointed it wasn't as emphatic as it should have been. Tammy should have been walking away with his 21st and 22nd goals of the season, while John McGinn should also have scored a couple.
"We had a number of chances and had we been more clinical we would have made the game more comfortable. But Abraham is enjoying his football. He always has a smile on his face and he has proved again that he is a Premier League goalscorer playing in the Championship."
Ipswich manager Paul Lambert:
"The referee missed two big moments in the match and that was my big gripe. You make your own luck but you do look for things to go your way.
"They were two very poor decisions. It was not a Villa penalty, while it was a blatant handball when we should have had a penalty.
"After they scored early in the game through Tammy Abraham we played very well, particularly in the second half.
"I was proud of the way we played. There are still a lot of points to be played for. We do not look like a team at the bottom of the table. We are now moving forward. The performances have improved since I've been at the club."
