U21s: Leeds United 2-1 Aston Villa

Aston Villa suffered Premier League 2 play-off heartbreak as they fell to a 2-1 semi-final defeat against Leeds United at Elland Road.

Brad Young headed the Young Lions into the lead after 16 minutes but the hosts levelled just before the half hour courtesy of Mateo Joseph’s close-range finish.

Sonny Perkins then curled Leeds in front prior to half-time and, despite pushing for a second-half leveller, the visitors could not restore parity.

It ensured Villa’s PL2 season came to an end in front of 3,709 in attendance in West Yorkshire as the hosts, who named a strong line-up for the play-off encounter, progressed to face Nottingham Forest in the final.

Villa finished the regular campaign fifth in the Division Two table, three places and nine points behind a Leeds side who missed out on automatic promotion on goal difference.

Kadan Young was proving a lively threat in the opening stages, while Oliwier Zych was called upon to make the game’s first save, a routine one, to deny Perkins at the other end.

Yet it was Kadan Young who inspired Villa’s opener after 16 minutes, again causing problems down the left before threading through Tommi O’Reilly, who crossed for Brad Young to head home from close range.

Zych collected from Archie Gray before standing firm to make a parried save from Leeds’ club-record signing Georginio Rutter just before the half-hour mark.

However, the hosts levelled from the resulting corner as captain Joseph found space at the back post to convert from yards out.

Zych got down well to deny Sean McGurk in the 36^th minute, Joseph curled narrowly wide and Rutter forced a solid save from Villa’s No.1 with the home side applying pressure.

And it was United who took the lead just before the break as Perkins started a move on the halfway line, fed McGurk and continued his run before applying a well-taken curling left-footed finish from 10 yards.

Gray sent an effort narrowly wide from distance shortly prior to the interval, with Arjan Raikhy doing likewise for the Young Lions moments after the restart.

Boss Tony Carss turned to substitute Omari Kellyman in the 72^nd minute in a bid to spark a leveller.

And Villa continued to push forward in a bid to find an equaliser as the second half progressed, Chisom Afoka introduced in the latter stages.

Yet they could not force extra-time as the full-time whistle brought the curtain down on their promotion ambitions.