U18s: Aston Villa 2-4 Southampton

Aston Villa fell to a first defeat in six on Saturday morning, losing 4-2 to Southampton at Bodymoor Heath in the Under-18 Premier League.

The Saints were too strong for Jimmy Shan’s table-topping Young Lions, taking a 1-0 lead into the break, courtesy of Aston Daley’s strike.

Further goals after the break from Nick Oyekunle (2) and the impressive Sufianu Sillah Dibaga meant Cole Brannigan’s late double for the hosts was in vain, as the Villans left empty-handed.

The visitors were in control for large parts of the first period. Despite Villa creating the first opening of the game, as Trai-Varn Mulley turned an effort wide after seven minutes, the south coast outfit went close with chances of their own, with both Harry Gathercole and Sillah Dibaga calling Owen Asemota into action.

Southampton were rewarded for their persistence 11 minutes before the interval. Sillah Dibaga cut a low ball back into the area, where the onrushing Daley made no mistake with the finish.

And things got worse for the hosts shortly after the break, as Saints doubled their lead within 10 minutes of the restart, Sillah Dibaga again cutting back, this time for Oyekunle to finish with aplomb.

Ten minutes later, and the away side had three when Daley slid a ball through the Villa defence, finding Oyekunle’s well-timed run and allowing the forward to confidently slide home.

And the fourth goal followed with 13 minutes to play, giving Shan’s youngsters a mountain to climb. The impressive Sillah Dibaga got himself on the scoresheet, having earlier registered an assist, latching onto James Martin’s ball and finding the far corner.

The hosts did go out fighting, and made the scoreline more respectable with two goals in the final six minutes from the in-form Cole Brannigan.

First, lively substitute Max Lott was alert to pounce on a loose backpass and square for Brannigan to finish past the two recovering defenders on the goalline.

Then, five minutes later, more creative work from Lott saw him feed Brannigan with an inch-perfect pass through the centre, the forward notching his second of the game with a neat dink over goalkeeper Oscar Abbotson.

The late flurry could not save the hosts from falling to defeat, however, as 4-2 it finished at Bodymoor. Shan’s team remain top of the Under-18 Premier League South division on goal difference, though still have four games in hand over second-placed Crystal Palace.