U18s Report: City 2 Villa 3

The young Foxes found themselves deservedly 2-0 up at half time through some clinical finishing from Eddy Samba and Daniel Rowe in 45 minutes where City defended bravely and took the game to Villa.

However the more experienced visitors hit back in devastating fashion after the break – Kevin Toner, Thomas Straw and Ricky Calder all getting on the score sheet by the hour mark to complete a remarkable turnaround.

With a starting XI bristling with players experienced at Under-21s level, Villa began the match confidently in their blackcurrant kits as Jack Grealish got a couple of long range efforts away on his right foot.

City were defending well though, and with the excellent Simonas Stankevicius providing a perfect outlet up front, the visitors became increasingly frustrated at their inability to break The Foxes down.

The lively Samba then popped up with an exquisite finish to give Leicester their reward for an industrious opening 25 minutes. He raced onto a ball over the top and lofted a shot over Villa ‘keeper Aiden Grant and into the net.

Toner and Codi Lynes saw yellow for the visitors soon after as City began to sense that their opponents were on the ropes and took full advantage.

Another ball over the top had the Villa backline scrambling, and once again Samba’s pace enabled him to reach the ball first, turning it unselfishly right for Rowe to fire home from a tight angle for 2-0.

It was a job well done for City after 45 minutes, but with their manager’s word still ringing in their ears, Aston Villa flew out of the blocks in the second half to pull one back three minutes in.

It was a move straight off the training ground – Khalid Abdul clipped a cleverly disguised free kick to the far post where big defender Toner met it with a looping header over a helpless Liam Sharpe.

Ten minutes later a spot of good fortune had Villa on level terms. The dangerous Grealish squeezed in a low effort from a narrow angle on his left foot, which struck the base of the post and bobbled into the path of a grateful Straw for a tap in.

The turnaround was complete on the hour mark and The Foxes will have been disappointed with the manner in which it was conceded, as they missed numerous chances to clear from a corner. Villa number 11 Calder eventually made them pay with a powerful low effort from 12 yards that crashed into the bottom corner.

Playing from the left side, Samba had City’s best effort at getting back on level terms in the closing minutes, but he lashed his effort from the angle into the side netting as Villa held on for the three points.

City: Sharpe, King, Chilwell, Ngoma, Moore, Casey, Rowe, Awuah, Stankevicius, Downes, Samba

Villa: Grant, Zazrivic, Wilder, Lynes, Lydon, Toner, O’Brien, Grealish, Strew, Abdul, Calder