U18s: Aston Villa 1-1 Fulham

Aston Villa were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham in the Under-18 Premier League Cup at Bodymoor Heath on Saturday afternoon. 

Elijah Briscoe’s first-half header cancelled out Macauley Zepa’s early opener for the visitors, though Jimmy Shan’s side could not find the winning goal they required to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition. 

The spoils were shared, meaning Villa finished second in Group E behind the Cottagers. Their tally of five points did not prove enough to secure their place in the knockout stages as a best-ranked second place team. 

It was the visitors who started on top in B78, and needed just three minutes to take the lead.

Fluid build-up play led to Tom Wingate getting a shot away, which Owen Asemota did well to keep out, but the Villa stopper could do nothing to prevent Zepa from burying the rebound.

Villa grew into the half as it progressed in their search for an equalising goal. Cole Brannigan’s lofted ball to the far post found an unmarked Junior Wilson, though he could only scuff his effort wide, before Teddie Bloomfield side-footed a volley agonisingly wide of the far post. 

And their equaliser came not long after the half hour mark. A deep cross from the left swung to the back post by Bloomfield troubled Dino Kaiser in the Fulham net. He tipped the ball onto the head of Briscoe, who nodded home. 

Villa had the wind in their sails as the break approached, with Max Jenner coming closest to giving them the lead when turning narrowly over from the edge of the area, but the half-time whistle sounded with the affair all square. 

The second period proved a more cagey affair to begin with, as both sides exchanged turns to attack. Owen Asemota had to be alert to deny Zepa a second for a Cottagers, after he had threatened from a tight angle. 

But the Young Lions retained their attacking threat, and took control of the half as it progressed. Luka Lynch’s introduction gave the hosts a fresh threat in the final third, and he worked space on the edge of the area before firing over to warn Fulham of his danger, before Keilan Quinn tested Kaiser moments later. 

Shan’s side continued to push for a winner late into the encounter, knowing they would need to secure top spot to guarantee their progression to the quarter-finals, though level it remained, as Villa bowed out of the Under-18 Premier League Cup, finishing second in Group E.