U23s: Aston Villa 4-2 West Brom

Caleb Chukwuemeka’s hat-trick fired Aston Villa to victory against West Bromwich Albion in Premier League 2 at Bodymoor Heath on Friday night.

The striker got the scoring started in the opening minutes before Taylor Gardner-Hickman buried a direct free-kick for the Baggies.

Captain Aaron Ramsey put Villa back in front with an individual effort before Chukwuemeka grabbed his second before the break.

Saul Shotton pulled West Brom back into the game, but it was Chukwuemeka who had the final say to wrap up the win.

It took only four minutes for the fans, who were back in the stands for the first time this season, to cheer the first goal of the night.

Ramsey controlled a looping ball sublimely and started an attack that finished with Chukwuemeka sending a low first-time shot into the bottom corner from just outside the box.

The home side were in the ascendency and came close to building on their lead through Ramsey and Finley Thorndike. But those missed opportunities cost Villa after 19 minutes when Gardner-Hickman fired a free-kick skimming across the grass and past Filip Marschall.

Thorndike, who was keen to impress against his former side, looked to have restored Villa’s lead when he glided past two defenders and shot towards the far corner – only to see a sliding Ethan Ingram produce a last-ditch block.

Ramsey, who scored in his first PL2 games of the season, kept his streak alive with a stunning solo effort after 33 minutes, beating a number of Baggies defenders before finishing from a tight angle.

With five minutes left in the half, the scoreline finally reflected Villa’s dominance as Chukwuemeka showed great composure to net his second of the night.

West Brom started the second half with more purpose than they displayed in the first 45 minutes, and they pulled one back when Shotton rose highest at the far post just shy of the hour mark.

The hosts’ attacking threat had diminished but they still carried a threat whenever Chukwuemeka received the ball.

With a hat-trick on his mind, the striker jinked his way around the box and burst through a couple of tackles before Cann managed to thwart him in a 50-50.

Chukwuemeka wasn’t to be denied, however, and he slotted home at the near post to seal both his hat-trick and the win for Villa.