Aston Villa Reserves/Academy games & information

[Percy McCarthy]

How did we finish up?

[dcdavecollett]

We lost 2-1.

Burke scored our equaliser.

[Percy McCarthy]

Cheers.

[godzvilla]

Match report from the OS , apparently Jordan Bowery was substituted just before Half Time but no mention of why although ,  in reading , it appears he was having a good game up to that point ....................Godzvilla! .
By Dan Harrison at Villa Park

Villa missed out on a chance to move up to second in the Barclays U21 Premier League as their unbeaten run came to an end an against Newcastle.

Graham Burke scored a well-taken equaliser for the claret and blues after Adam Campbell had fired the Magpies in front just before the hour mark.

But the visitors departed with three points thanks to Mehdi Abeid's solo effort.

There were two changes to the Villa side that drew 3-3 in a thriller at Tottenham Hotspur last week.

Enda Stevens returned from a hamstring injury while Courtney Cameron also came into the starting XI with Derrick Williams and Chris Herd dropping out.

Newcastle welcomed Spanish striker Xisco back into the fold - his first appearance for the club following a season-long loan at Deportivo La Coruna.

The Magpies fielded seven players with first team experience including Romain Amalfitano, a summer signing from Reims, and former Everton midfielder Dan Gosling.

The two teams managed 26 goals in nine games between them going into this clash but the first period began at a surprisingly slow tempo.

Jordan Bowery, fresh from his first Villa goal at Spurs seven days ago, looked lively again before being forced off through injury two minutes before the break.

The former Chesterfield striker thought he had opened the scoring when he met Samir Carruthers' lofted pass with a fierce volley.

But the linesman raised his flag as Bowery had strayed fractionally offside.

Seven minutes later, the 21-year-old called Jak Alnwick into action for the first time.

The Newcastle goalkeeper got down to his right to push Bowery's stinging right-foot drive to safety.

The visitors finished the half strongly with Conor Newton volleying wide after Villa only half cleared a corner.

Then, just before the interval, Campbell headed wide from close range when Haris Vuckic found him at the back post with an inswinging cross.

If the first-half appeared somewhat subdued, there was no shortage of entertainment in the second.

Carruthers split two defenders with a delightful pass to play in Burke soon after the restart but the Irishman sliced his effort off target.

Then goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist came to Villa's rescue, sliding out to thwart Amalfitano who was through on goal.

But the Swiss custodian could do little about Campbell's deadlock-breaker on 57 minutes.

Campbell found space in the penalty area to fire across goal into the bottom corner.

Villa responded well and Burke's well-crafted equaliser was the least they deserved.

It came via another incisive Carruthers pass to pick out his team-mate, who took one touch before tucking past Alnwick.

The lead lasted just three minutes, though, as Abeid beat Siegrist with a low drive from the edge of the penalty area.

The away side had an opportunity to extend their lead when Siegrist made an acrobatic save to keep out Campbell's angled shot.

VILLA: Siegrist, Cameron, Devine, Baker, Stevens, Carruthers, Westwood, Johnson, Stieber, Burke, Bowery. Subs: Bateman [for Bowery, 42], Barrett, Graham [for Stieber, 81], Watkins-Clark, Melvin.

NEWCASTLE: Alnwick, Newton, Riley, Tavernier, Satka, Campbell, Abeid, Gosling, Amalfitano, Vuckic, Xisco. Subs: Hooper, Inman [for Xisco, 57], Maddison [for Gosling, 81], Meile [for Vuckic, 88], Woodman

[PeterWithe]

Is Herd injured as he didn't even appear to make the bench? Also, are these games taking the place of reserve games, how many over 21 players can you field per team?

[Larry Duff]

Yes, the reserve league is now an U21 league.  I think you can play three over age players.

Although Newcastle came with a strong side last night we were not very inspiring.  We have a collection of good individual players but are not really blending as a team.

I thought Ashley Westwood would be a bit more dominant and didn't look as accomplished as Carruthers and Johnson.  He grew into the game and had a decent second half though.

Jordan Bowery has something about him. Very good in the air and quick too.  He picked up a knee injury just before half time and had to come off.  He has obvious ability but has a slightly laid back attitude which could become annoying if things are not working out for him.

[PeterWithe]

I'm surprised that the bigger clubs with the bigger squads have voted for this then, there will be a lot of senior players who don't get any game time at all from one week to the next.

Strange.

[PeterWithesShin]

NextGen Series team news - Celtic U19 v Villa U19.

CELTIC: Daniels, Fisher, Chalmers, Fraser, Findlay, Irvine, P.Twardzik, Kidd, Atajic, Johnstone, Lindsay. Subs: Miller, Hart, McNally, McMullan, Kirwan, McManus, Henderson.

VILLA: Hill, Bateman, Lewis, Lyden, Devine, Watkins-Clark, Graham, Ward, Drennan, Carruthers, Grealish. Subs: Barton, Barrett, Crowley, Dempsey, Strain, Calder, Cowans.

[villajk]

Winning 1-0

[villajk]

Jordan graham

[PeterWithesShin]

Jordan keeps up the Villa tradition of scoring in off the post in a European game.

Celtic U19 0-1 Villa U19 - GOAL - 24 mins: Villa are in front thanks to a headed goal from Jordan Graham - his first in the NextGen Series. Brad Lewis crossed from the left flank and Graham's header went in off the post.

[Legion]

0-2 Drennan.

[PeterWithesShin]

Celtic U19 0-2 Villa U19 - GOAL - 40 mins: Michael Drennan has doubled Villa's advantage. Samir Carruthers picked out Jordan Graham on the right wing with a superb cross-field pass. Graham took two touches before picking out Drennan who rose to power a header past the keeper.

[Legion]

1-2 Devine og

[The Left Side]

30 odd mins to go