Aston Villa Under-23s scored a comfortable victory against West Bromwich Albion in Premier League 2 at Bodymoor Heath on Friday night.
Henri Lansbury’s cross dropped in at the far post to give the hosts the perfect start after six minutes.
Chances came and went as Villa dominated for large spells before Louie Barry converted from the penalty spot after Lamare Bogarde was felled shortly after half-time.
Rekeem Harper pulled one back in stoppage time but it was too little too late for the visitors as Villa ended a run of three games without a win.
After a frenetic start to the game, Villa snatched the lead with six minutes on the clock when Lansbury’s looping cross dropped over the head of visiting ‘keeper Ted Cann.
Barry hit the headlines when he scored against Liverpool in the FA Cup last week, and he came close to curling in the home side’s second with a superb side-footed effort that drifted just past the far post.
Villa were dominating the contest and they almost extended their lead in spectacular fashion when left-back Ben Chrisene rampaged to the edge of the box before seeing his right-footed effort well saved by Cann.
As the game hit the half hour mark, the Albion goalkeeper was indebted to his defenders for bailing him out after the dangerous Barry had nicked the ball off him inside the box.
West Brom were offering little going forward as Villa’s backline, marshalled superbly by the imposing Mohammed Sylla, kept them at bay during the first 45 minutes.
Villa should have been more than 1-0 up at the break, but they wasted little time in adding to their lead when they emerged from the changing rooms.
Bogarde nipped in ahead of a defender and was duly brought down in the box, paving the way for Barry to score against his old team, coolly dispatching the spot kick into the bottom right-hand corner.
With regular skipper Dominic Revan heading out on loan earlier in the day, Kaine Kesler nearly capped his night with the armband with a spectacular goal, but his long-range effort flew narrowly wide.
Bradley Young’s audacious roulette turn in last Friday’s FA Cup tie went viral on social media, and he came close to finishing this game off with a well struck effort that smacked against the post.
Louie Moulden had little to do for the most part, but he got across his goal well to preserve his clean sheet in the 89th minute as he tipped Saul Shotton’s header around the post.
There was nothing the 'keeper could do in injury time as Harper swept home to give the visitors a consolation.
Aston Villa: Moulden, Hayden (c), Chrisene, Sylla, Bridge, Lansbury (Swinkels 62'), Farr, Bogarde, Barry, Raikhy (H.Sohna 85'), Tait (Young 70').
Subs not used: Onodi, Walker.
