Report: Aston Villa Under-23s 8-0 Bristol City Under-23s

Callum O’Hare netted a hat-trick for the home side, Harvey Knibbs secured a brace, while Jordan Cox, Corey Blackett-Taylor and Dimitri Sea were also on target for the competition’s current holders.

The game’s opening ten minutes saw both sides reluctant to attack the opposition goal, preferring to pass out from the back.

However, the Villains broke the deadlock with their first notable attack as Blackett-Taylor found Cox, who slotted beyond Jojo Wollacott, despite the shot-stopper getting a hand to the effort.

City would have their first foray into the opposition area not long after. Vince Harper intercepted a wayward pass and fed Sam Pearson, whose pass for Ricardo Rees was just short of the advancing frontman.

Wollacott then produced a brilliant save to deny what should have been the home side’s second. Knibbs did well to steal the ball from Tom Harrison before squaring the ball to the supporting O’Hare, but the City goalkeeper got down low to make an impressive stop.

However, Aston Villa maintained their pressure and they extended their advantage soon after as Blackett-Taylor powered through the defence, before firing beyond Wollacott.

Two soon became three when Revan linked up with Cox, who fed the ball to O’Hare, and the Villa captain made no mistake in finding the back of the net.

O’Hare would come close to adding another goal less than five minutes later having evaded a series of challenges, but the lively attacker fired wide of the target from a promising position.

As half-time approached, Villa scored their fourth. A defensive mix-up allowed Knibbs to pounce on the loose ball and round Wollacott. The striker’s effort came out off the post, but the ball was bunded over the line by O’Hare.

City would enjoy more possession in the second half and registered their first shot on target just after the hour mark through Rees, but his effort was well saved by Matija Sarkic.

Despite a better performance from the young Robins after the interval, the hosts added their fifth as O’Hare rifled an effort beyond the helpless Wollacott, for his third of the encounter.

Cox went close to adding a sixth, only for his shot to crash against the crossbar, while at the other end, Sam Bell forced a smart save from Sarkic, before Marcus Day shot wide.

However, the home side’s sixth goal of the evening came ten minutes from the final whistle as Knibbs found himself a yard of space and produced a neat finish, before going on to net his second moments later.

Sea completed the rout in the dying moments when he rose highest at a corner to head beyond Wollacott and inflict a heavy defeat on the development group.

Attention for Williams and his side will now switch back to the league, as they face Crystal Palace Under-23s on Monday October 15^th at Twerton Park, 7pm kick off.

City Under-23s: Wollacott, Ali, Turner-Williams, Smith (Owers), Webb, Harrison, Pearson (Day), Richards, Rees, Bell, Harper (Taylor). Subs not used: Robertson, Williams.

Written by Ryan Payne.