U23s: Aston Villa 2-2 Southampton

Aston Villa’s Under-23s played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Southampton at Bodymoor Heath on Friday afternoon.

Kahrel Reddin put Mark Delaney’s side ahead inside two minutes, but the visitors fought back to take the lead before the break through goals from Kazeem Olaigbe and Lewis Payne.

Villa were excellent in the second half and Brad Young’s late equaliser was enough to earn a share of the points.

It was a lively encounter from the off with Jayden Smith forcing Viljami Sinisalo into a good save with less than a minute on the clock, before the home side took the lead moments later.

Southampton failed to clear a ball into the box and Reddin took aim with his left foot and fired beyond Ollie Wright for the opener.

Nico Lawrence went close for the visitors midway through the first half when his header clipped the top of the crossbar, before Tommi O’Reilly shot just wide at the other end.

Saints levelled as the game approached the half-hour mark, with Olaigbe finding the bottom corner with a powerful first-time shot from the edge of the box.

The turnaround was completed six minutes later, when Payne’s thunderous effort from distance went in off the post.

Young headed wide before the break as Villa searched for an equaliser and they continued to pile on the pressure in the second half.  

Reddin saw an effort from a tight angle saved before Young struck the post, with the dangerous Olaigbe forcing Sinisalo into another great stop before the Villa leveller came on 76 minutes.

Substitute Paul Appiah posed a real threat from right-back and when his shot was parried, Young was on hand to tap home and make it 2-2.

Villa had opportunities to snatch all three points in stoppage time as Reddin and O’Reilly both had efforts saved after neat work to open up the Southampton defence.

With another point secured at the final whistle, attention turns to a trip to Kidderminster to face Wolverhampton Wanderers next Friday night.