U18s: Fulham 0-2 Aston Villa

Aston Villa returned to winning ways in the Under-18 Premier League on Saturday lunchtime, with a comfortable 2-0 victory away at Fulham.

The Villans started well at the hosts’ Motspur Park training base, taking the lead through the in-form Cole Brannigan inside the opening nine minutes.

And the game remained that way until the closing stages, TJ Carroll converting a penalty to give Villa the crucial second goal eight minutes from time, after Leon Routh was felled inside the area.

Jimmy Shan’s Young Lions started in command in the capital, conjuring up the first opening when Alfie Lynksey’s overhead kick effort was off target after Brannigan’s initial effort was denied five minutes in.

But by the time the following five minutes had elapsed, the Villans had taken the lead, Brannigan on hand to neatly bury the rebound after Teddie Bloomfield’s initial effort was kept out.

The hosts, who began the day above Villa in the table, carried a threat of their own, and would go on to control much of the remainder of the opening period.

The visiting defence had to be alert to cut out Farhaan Ali Wahid’s cross before Aiden Evans might have done better to direct an effort on target. Brodie Dair would come closer still for Fulham, being denied only by the woodwork when cutting in from the left-hand side.

But Villa regained their composure after the break, and commenced their hunt for a second goal, Brannigan sending a half-volley just wide after neat build-up from a set-piece, before Junior Wilson flicked an effort over.

The Cottagers again responded, with Sam Proctor called into action to beat away substitute Kyle Grant’s drive after the Villans failed to clear a corner.

But the visitors were then handed a golden opportunity to double their advantage and effectively seal the points with eight minutes to play, when Leon Routh was brought down inside the area.

Carroll stepped up from 12 yards out and confidently beat Fulham ‘keeper Dino Kaiser to put Shan’s side firmly in command.

Fulham kept plugging away, with both Tom Wingate and Evans going close, but it was the Villans who ended the encounter the enforcers, and almost had a third when substitute Markie Meade rounded Kaiser, only to be denied by Logan Cooke’s last-ditch challenge.

The referee drew proceedings to a close, as the Young Lions leapfrogged the hosts into fourth in the Under-18 Premier League table, where they sit six points off top with five games in hand on leaders Crystal Palace.