Recalled record signing Juan Pablo Angel ended Aston Villa's recent lean spell in the Premiership with a two-goal blast and piled on more misery for bottom club Ipswich Town.

The Colombian international, whom Villa manager John Gregory has admitted he may have to sell to finance new signings, had been an unused substitute for the previous two games with West Ham and Arsenal.

But he showed the predator's instinct to enable Villa to recover from trailing to a Finidi George goal and join the growing pack of clubs clambering to make an impact at the top of the table.

The ex River Plate player took his goal tally for the season to 10 as Villa finally emerged from a rocky spell of three points in six games since going into pole position in late October.

It was not a vintage performance by any stretch of the imagination and Villa had to survive an awkward finale from George Burley's side.

But for Villa a victory was all that the doctor had ordered after the heartbreak of twice being denied by last gasp goals at Upton Park and Highbury.

Paul Merson was an influential figure in attack while Olof Mellberg was impressive in keeping the Tractor Boys at bay.

But Ipswich can take heart from their performance even though they have now gone 15 Premiership games without a victory and Jermaine Wright was impressive in midfield.

Villa, in front of England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, had started brightly with Merson prominent but they failed to test Matteo Sereni and it was Ipswich who grabbed a shock lead after 17 minutes.

Villa midfielder George Boateng's misdirected pass was intercepted by Hermann Hreidarsson and he and Richard Naylor then combined to find George some 25 yards out.

In an instant he fired in a low skidding shot which went through the legs of Steve Staunton and past the dive of Peter Schmeichel into the corner of the net.

It was Ipswich's first Premiership goal in 332 minutes but Villa almost got back on level terms within 60 seconds.

The lively Merson got on the end of a header forward from Angel and burst into the area but the ball bobbled off his shin and wide of the goal.

Villa were guilty of giving the ball away needlessly on two many occasions and Ipswich grew in confidence as they scented the chance of a rare success.

Schmeichel turned a header from Jermaine Wright around the post and the home fans were becoming increasingly frustrated before Angel finally gave them something to cheer about a minute before the interval.

Sereni failed to hold onto a corner from Steve Staunton and, although the ball was partially cleared, the Republic of Ireland international whipped in another left-footed cross.

This time Angel was first to react and, although Sereni got a hand to the ball, he was unable to stop his downward header entering the net.

That was the tonic that Villa needed and they dominated the initial stages after the interval.

Sereni was relieved when a first time effort from edge of the area by Merson floated over his head but struck the crossbar after Boateng had laid the ball back into the path of the Villa skipper.

Merson then had a header blocked by John McGreal after he had made contact with a cross from Stone but Ipswich were not being overwhelmed by their high-riding opponents.

Mark Venus was only just off target with a 30 yard free-kick but after 70 minutes Angel struck for the second time albeit it with the help off a deflection from McGreal.

Stone played the ball into the path of the striker and his quick turn gave him the chance to advance towards the Ipswich goal. His eventual shot then spun up off McGreal's boot and over the head of Sereni into the net for his 10th goal of the campaign.

Ipswich refused to buckle and Wright was only inches off target with a volley from the edge of the area.

Teams:

Aston Villa: Schmeichel, Samuel, Mellberg, Staunton, Wright, Barry, Boateng, Hendrie (Dublin 67), Stone, Angel (Vassell 84), Merson.

Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Balaban, Bewers.

Goals: Angel 44, 70.

Ipswich: Sereni, Makin, McGreal, Venus, Hreidarsson, Wright, Holland, Magilton, George (Clapham 65), Armstrong (Marcus Bent 80), Naylor.

Subs Not Used: Counago, Bramble, Branagan.

Booked: Naylor.

Goals: George 18.

Att: 29,320

Ref: M Dean (The Wirral).