U23s: Birmingham City 1-2 Aston Villa

Declan Frith’s double inspired Aston Villa to victory in the Second City Derby in Premier League 2 at St Andrew’s.

The winger, who signed for the club earlier in the week, showed great composure to cut inside from the right and fire past Neil Etheridge after nine minutes.

Frith repeated the trick with 26 minutes on the clock, picking out the same corner of the goal, as Villa cut through the hosts at will.

In a hard fought second half, City's Jordan Graham sent a spot kick over the bar before Juan Castillo grabbed a goal back after 87 minutes.

But the Young Lions held firm to move back up to second in the table.

Backed by a vocal away support, the Young Lions raced out of the blocks and were rewarded for their early endeavours with just nine minutes on the clock.

After working the ball out to Frith on the right, the winger drove into the box and sent a low strike across the ‘keeper and just inside the far post to give Villa the lead.

Captain Aaron Ramsey sent two shots wide before lighting the game up with a mazy solo run that began in his own half and ended in Birmingham’s penalty area, with Neil Etheridge’s save denying the midfielder a superb goal.

But the Blues stopper could only stand and watch as Frith netted his second of the game after 26 minutes, coolly placing the ball into the same corner as his first from close range.

The pressure on the home goal was relentless and only a stunning save from Etheridge, who dived full-length to claw Finley Thorndike’s free-kick out of the top corner, saved his side from a 3-0 deficit at the break.

Birmingham attempted to assert themselves in the opening stages of the second half and twice threatened Oliwier Zych’s goal before the referee pointed to the penalty spot when Sil Swinkels was harshly penalised for handball.

Graham stepped up in front of the Villa fans and mishit his shot, sending the ball looping over the crossbar.

With the hosts pushing forward in their desperation to find a way back into the game, the visitors were content to sit back and look for opportunities on the counter-attack, with the ever-lively Ramsey leading the way.

With just under 15 minutes to play, Etheridge came to his side’s rescue once again, showing superb reflexes to deny Tristan Goodridge as he poked a shot goalwards.

The ‘keeper’s save kept Birmingham in the game and they set up a nervy finish when Castillo found the net from close range with three minutes to play, but Mark Delaney’s team saw out the remaining time with no major scares.