U18s: Aston Villa 1-0 Brighton & Hove Albion

Aston Villa extended their lead at the top of the Under-18 Premier League South division on Saturday morning, with a 1-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Bodymoor Heath. 

The Young Lions left it late to secure a fourth-straight victory in all competitions, as substitute Elijah Briscoe’s stoppage-time strike secured all three points against the second-placed Seagulls. 

Victory sees Jimmy Shan’s side move six points clear of their visitors at the top of the table, having dropped just five points from their opening eight games of the season. 

In a tight, tense affair at Bodymoor, it was the visitors who started the faster, and they thought they had taken the lead inside the opening minute, when Aidan West swung a ball to the back post which was crashed home by Nehemiah Oriola, but the assistant’s flag was up for offside. 

West was causing the Young Lions problems on Brighton’s right-hand side, and had fashioned another chance for the Seagulls moments later, teeing up Layth Gulzar on the edge of the area. He pulled the trigger, but Sam Proctor was equal to it in the Villa goal. 

Shan’s youngsters again had to be alert when the away side came even closer on 14 minutes. Shane Nti was played in behind and opted to pull the ball back for Ronnie Gorman. But, with Proctor beaten, heroic defending from the retreating Junior Wilson hacked away his goalbound effort and kept the scores level. 

Villa grew into the first period as it wore on, with sighters from Cole Brannigan and Trai-Varn Mulley, but it was Brighton who looked the more likely as half-time approached, Nti again finding Gorman in space after the visitors had won the ball back high up the pitch, but the Irish forward was unable to find the target. 

Shan’s side started the second half with more drive and endeavour, as Cole Brannigan flashed a shot wide of Alfie Mansell’s goal, before Mason Cotcher turned an effort over the bar after Mulley had knocked a cross down into his path. 

But Brighton remained dangerous, carrying a threat of their own and almost taking the lead when Oriola lashed an effort back across goal which ricocheted off Nti and behind for a goal-kick. 

Villa again grew stronger as the half wore on and, after Rodrigo Fortes had put a decent opportunity wide, their persistence paid in the first minute of added time, when they finally found their winner. 

Mulley, a threat throughout, got the better of his man on the right-hand side and dug out a cross for the unmarked Briscoe in the centre. He took one touch to steady himself and picked his spot to hand Villa’s Under-18s a fourth-straight win.