U18s: Southampton 0-4 Aston Villa

Aston Villa reached the semi-finals of the Under-18 Premier League Cup with a thumping win against Southampton on Saturday.

The hosts missed an early penalty before Ewan Simpson volleyed home at the back post to put the Young Lions ahead after 17 minutes.

Charlie Lutz doubled their advantage two minutes before half-time and they went three up when Rory Wilson netted on 66 minutes.

A fourth goal arrived courtesy of Omari Kellyman to secure a place in the last four.

The visitors, eyeing revenge for last month’s FA Youth Cup defeat, started brightly and had the ball in the net when Kyrie Pierre chested Finley Munroe’s cross home.

The offside flag denied Villa the opener on that occasion and they were soon facing a penalty against them when Will Merry was taken down in the box.

Merry picked himself up and dragged the spot kick wide, with the miss proving costly when Simpson fired home a cross at the back post on 17 minutes.

Wilson had a goal disallowed as Villa continued to pile on the pressure before Lutz squeezed home a second goal from a tight angle.

After the break, yet another Villa goal was chalked off when Kerr Smith was adjudged to be offside when planting a back post header beyond the ‘keeper.

The away side’s third of the game came from a patient passing move that began with goalkeeper James Wright, playing through the thirds before Wilson finished Kellyman’s pull back.

It was Kellyman’s turn to find the net when he completed the scoring on 73 minutes, intercepting a pass from the ‘keeper and cooly slotting into the far corner.