U21s: Aston Villa 0-3 Norwich City

Aston Villa fell to defeat in Premier League 2 on Monday evening, as Norwich City left Bodymoor Heath with a 3-0 victory. 

Goals from Adian Manning (2) and Toby Chilvers condemned Josep Gombau’s side to the loss on home soil, as his young side was left to rue missed opportunities at crucial stages of the game. 

After an encouraging start from the hosts, Manning put Norwich ahead with a neat effort on 11 minutes. Villa again rallied after the break, but Chilvers doubled the visitors’ advantage, before Manning made sure of the victory in stoppage time, with another assured finish. 

Villa started the stronger in search of an opening goal at Bodymoor Heath. Kerr Smith’s looping header dropped just over the crossbar, after he had met Todd Alcock’s corner at the far post, shortly before Ben Broggio cut inside and bent an effort over from the edge of the area, following good work from Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba. 

But it was the Canaries who took the lead against the run of play on 11 minutes. Daniel Ogwuru did well with his first touch to lay the ball off for Manning, who picked out the bottom corner with a curling effort just outside the box. 

Villa looked for a response, with Kobei Moore poking his effort agonisingly wide inside the area when being found by Jimoh-Aloba out wide. 

And minutes later came the Young Lions’ best opening of the first half, as they struck the woodwork through Travis Patterson. Broggio found the left-back’s surging run in behind. He drove into the area, seeing his ferocious effort denied only when goalkeeper Caleb Ansen did well to tip onto the crossbar and away. 

Gombau’s side began the second period in a similar vein, as they went in search of an equalising goal. A neat move involving Kane Taylor and Kadan Young saw the latter cross for Moore, who failed to keep his effort down. 

Then, moments, later, after Jimoh-Aloba had seen an effort stopped by Ansen, it was Young’s turn to be denied by the Norwich stopper, who needed two attempts to hold onto the winger’s stinging drive goalwards. 

And Villa were again made to pay for their missed opportunities moments later, as the Canaries doubled their advantage. After winning the ball back high up the field, Norwich streamed forward, with Ogwuru crossing for Toby Chilvers who made no mistake with a near-post finish. 

The Villans again looked for a response, and introduced Bradley Burrowes and Aidan Borland from the bench as they looked to cut the deficit in half. The former tested Ansen with a curling effort from the edge of the area, who had to be alert to tip the ball wide. 

The woodwork would again come to thwart the hosts with a little over 15 minutes remaining, as Broggio darted on the outside on Jonathan Tomkinson and lashed a shot against the top of the near post, with Alcock hammering an effort over from the edge of the box minutes later. 

But it was the visitors who had the final say, finding a third goal in stoppage time to put the game beyond doubt. After a swift counter-attack, Manning was found unmarked at the far post. He cut inside and angled a tidy effort into the far corner to send Norwich home with all three points.