EFL Trophy: Crawley Town 5-2 Aston Villa

Aston Villa fell to a 5-2 defeat at Crawley Town as they wrapped up their Papa Johns Trophy Group B campaign.

The Young Lions took the lead at Broadfield Stadium courtesy of captain Seb Revan’s super 13^th-minute strike from the edge of the penalty area.

But Jayden Davis levelled for the League Two outfit, who are managed by interim boss Lewis Young – brother of Ashley, before Aramide Oteh fired the hosts ahead shortly before the break.

Oteh then added his second and Town’s third in the 52^nd minute before Villa substitute Charlie Lutz converted with a deft touch to make it 3-2 with eight minutes remaining.

But, within a minute, Mark Marshall restored the home side’s two-goal advantage while the lively Dominic Telford added an injury-time penalty, as Villa’s Under-21s fell to a third successive defeat in this season’s EFL Trophy southern section.

Telford proved a lively threat for the hosts throughout, first sending a long-range strike wide after nine minutes.

But it was Villa who opened the scoring courtesy of Revan, who carried the ball inside from the left channel and sent a long-range strike beyond David Robson.

Ludwig Francillette headed over for the hosts in response before Filip Marschall was called upon to thwart Telford from distance.

Marschall again had to be lively to deny Telford moments later but he could do nothing from the resulting corner as Davis sent a left-footed strike through a sea of bodies.

Telford was again posing a threat just moments later as he sent an effort wide when unmarked inside the penalty area.

Davis went close to his second in the 37^th minute as he fired into the side-netting at the far post.

But he played a part in Crawley’s second goal as he won possession and teed-up Oteh, who slammed the ball beyond Marschall.

Declan Frith tested Robson early in the second period but the home side were soon 3-1 to the good, Telford playing a ball inside which was won by Oteh and he fired underneath Marschall.

The Villa goalkeeper had to be alert to get a touch on Telford’s ambitious strike from long range.

Both sides made a raft of changes as the encounter approached the final 20 minutes.

And it was one of those substitutes who gave the Villans hope as Lutz applied a smart touch to Chisom Afoka’s low cross to reduce the deficit to one goal.

But Marshall quickly extinguished any hope of a fightback as he added a fourth just a minute later, Telford making it 5-2 with a stoppage-time spot-kick.