FA Premier Academy League – South
       Bodymoor Heath, Sutton Coalfield
      Saturday 14th October 2006, 12 noon

        ASTON VILLA   v     SPURS
       (Claret/Blue)	 (White/Blue)
          4-4-2		    4-4-2
           3(2)		    3(1)

              Parish  1 David Button
           Erik Lund  2 Takura Mtandari
         Danny Earls  3 Cian Hughton
         Shane Lowry  4 Matthew Wells
       Kieran Clarke  5 Joe Martin
                      6 Troy 
                        Archibald-Henville
                      7 Jamie Davis
            	      8 Jake Livermore(C)
      Adam McGurk(C)  9 Tomas Pekhart
                     10 Danny Hutchins
       Zoltan Sieber 11 David Hutton

    For (10) 46 Mins 12 For (5) 46 Mins
             	     13 Richie Stroud
         	     14 For (9) 67 Mins 
     For (8) 61 Mins 15 Jonathan Obika? 
                       (6) 61 Mins	
	      Toby ? 16

Scorers – 
           McGurk 24    Livermore 6
           Sieber 27    Hutton 49
           Lowry  92	Pekhart 52

There was a good crowd for this match. The U-16 sides were alsoplaying. The weather was cool with the sun coming out during the match to warm us up before it clouded over again. There was no teamsheet so I was unable to put names to all the players.

Spurs lined up with Joe Martin stepping in for Dervite who was away with the French squad and Troy Archibald-Henville at the back, with Mtandari at right back and Hughton at left back. Matthew Wells returned to partner Jake Livermore in central midfield, with Davis on the right and Hutton on the left with Pekhart and Hutchins up front. Villa had identical twins at 7 and 8.

Spurs kicked off playing into the wind and created the first chance inside two minutes with a shot put out for a corner. Then Spurs took the lead for the first time in five games when Hutton got to the line and turned the ball back for Livermore to fire home.

It was all Spurs in the opening spell with Davis and Hutton getting down the wings. The Villa captain led the fight back with their first attempt on target after fifteen minutes, which he followed up with an effort that hit the post before finally finding the net. It came from some untidy defending on the right when Sieber got past Mtandari and had his centre blocked by Archibald-Henville only for the ball to come back on to him and into the path of McGurk, whose rising shot beat Button.

Three minutes later the "Villans" were in front when Archibald-Henville was penalised for a foul on McGurk. Sieber curled the ball over the wall from 25 yards out giving Button no chance. The visitors came back strongly thanks mainly to the wide players with Pekhart heading wide when unmarked and Davis and Hutchins having efforts saved. The half finished with a flurry of Spurs corners.

Inglethorpe made one change for the second half with Martin being replaced with a new lad in a straight swap and continued where the first half left off. Within five minutes they were level when following a move down the left by Mtandari he laid the ball inside to Davis. His lofted ball to the far post was put into the net by Hutton who had stolen in unnoticed.

Within minutes, Spurs were in front again when another attack down the wing set up Pekhart just inside the area with which he made no mistake. The game settled into a pattern of Villa attacking, mainly down the right, with McGurk trying to finish off every move and Spurs countering with balls down both wings for Davis and Hutton.

Villa substituted the twins with a striker and left winger and Spurs took off Archibald-Henville and Pekhart. Without another defender Livermore dropped into the back four as Obika went up front with the new guy. Hutchins had a chance to increase the lead when he broke from the halfway line but had his shot pushed over by the keeper. Villa increased the pressure as the time was running out bringing out good saves from Button and good defending from the makeshift central pair. When a Villa sub put the ball over the bar from a couple of yards it looked like we would survive but the home side equalised in stoppage time when Lowry headed home from a corner. There was still time for a Sieber freekick before the final whistle, which was nearer this time and flew high over the bar.

This was a well-earned point against one of last season's top teams with both sides having chances to win it. Despite losing both centre backs (both had to be replaced last week as well) we did well and for once we held the lead twice, only having to comeback once. Hopefully we will get Dervite back for next week, or have one of the over-age players from the Reserves to stand in. One defeat in eight keeps us in fourth place with next weeks home game against Bristol City before our game in hand (home to Southampton), which could see us in second.

From the sounds coming from the other pitch the U-16 side lost 4-1.

Ray

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