Aston Villa booked their place in the UEFA Youth League Round of 16 with a 2-1 victory over Puskás Akadémia at Pancho Aréna on Wednesday afternoon.
After a goalless first half in which Josep Gombau's Young Lions were frustrated by their Hungarian hosts, the Villans raced into a two-goal lead within 10 minutes of the second half starting - courtesy of Mason Cotcher and Charlie Pavey
A late Kevin Mondovics effort ensured the visitors would have to defend astutely in the closing stages, but they successfuly kept Puskás at bay throughout the four minutes of added time to secure their spot in the last 16.
Villa were the protagonists in the opening period, starting the affair the better of the two sides.
Just three minutes were needed for the visitors to register their first attempt on goal, as Bradley Burrowes cut in from the right and fired towards the near post, only to be denied by Bendegúz Lehoczki. The home stopper was on hand to thwart Burrowes 10 minutes later, too, beating away his drive from the opposite side.
The Villans kept probing, though clear-cut chances proved few and far between. Just after the halfway stage of the opening period, Ben Broggio flashed a ball across the box, however no-one in claret and blue was there to convert.
Broggio again had a sniff with a minute to the break, working space on the edge of the box and thrashing a shot goalwards, but it sailed comfortably over as a goalless opening period drew to its conclusion.
But despite a frustrating first 45, it was the perfect start to the second period for Gombau’s side, as they raced two goals to the good within 10 minutes of the restart.
First, less than a minute after the action got back underway, the Villans were ahead. Broggio’s ball in was only cleared as far as Pavey who lashed goalwards, allowing Cotcher to divert over the line, despite the best efforts of the Puskás defence to hack the ball away.
Then, just eight minutes later, the Young Lions were in dreamland. The danger was again only half cleared by the hosts, allowing Pavey to smash an effort through the grasp of Lehoczki and in, handing Villa their crucial second goal.
Villa were in the hunt for more. A ball to the back post was agonisingly just behind Cotcher who was unable to get a shot away, before Broggio fired into the goalkeeper’s grasp minutes later.
And with 11 minutes to play, the visitors could have put the game beyond the reach of their hosts. Broggio again did well on the left, picking out Burrowes on the opposite side with a clever, defence-splitting ball, but the young forward blasted his effort over.
Just a minute later, Villa were made to rue their missed opportunity, as Puskás Akadémia pulled a goal back to halve the deficit. Bence Vékony showed good persistence to pick out Mondovics, who notched his fifth goal of the UEFA Youth League campaign.
The fourth official's board indicated four minutes of added time, and the hosts piled on the pressure in search of a would-be equaliser. Time seemed to be moving in slow motion for Gombau’s side, as Puskás went within inches of pulling level, Zsombor Varga striking the crossbar in stoppage time.
But the brave Young Lions held on to grind out a 2-1 victory and ensure their journey in the UEFA Youth League would continue. They will discover their opponents in the round of 16 draw in Nyon, Switzerland, this Friday lunchtime.
Aston Villa: Lewis; Rowe, Routh, Katsukunya, Fortes (Bloomfield 90+4'); Borland (c), Hemmings (Brannigan 82'); Burrowes, Pavey, Broggio; Cotcher (Khedr 74').
Unused subs: Proctor (GK), Hammond (GK), Carroll, Mulley, Lynksey, Burgess.
Goals: Cotcher (46'), Pavey (54').
Puskás Akadémia: Lehoczki, Szűcs, Szoma, Pál (c), Mondovics, Dimitrijev (Husztej 57'), Vékony, Ásványi (Varga 57'), Miskolczi (Zahorán 79'), Tiscsuk (Antal 57'), Kun (Magyarics 69').
Unused subs: Bozó (GK), Tóth, Shnaider, Cserkuti.
Goals: Mondovics (80').
