Aston Manor 
Football Academy Match Report – Aston Villa v Birmingham City
Sixth Form Football Academy Match Report – 29/01/20 Vs Birmingham City Away
It was great playing conditions for a local derby against Birmingham City Education Academy. The pitch at the FA’s Birmingham headquarters have been well looked after and suited the way our Aston Villa team plays, getting the ball down on the ground and forcing the quick attacks out wide.
We had a great start to the game, looking very confident on the ball and making the opposition work hard out of possession. 12 minutes into the game Aston Villa number 9 Holy forced a defensive mistake with great work pressing in the final third. Birmingham City’s centre back was forced to make a pass back to his goalkeeper. Holy pounced on this, beating the goalkeeper to the ball and slotting the ball comfortably home for a 1-0 lead.
The pressure was now on Birmingham City, and after 17 minutes Aston Villa forced a corner. A fantastic low, in swinging ball from right full back Daniel Henry and a great front post run by number 8 Lewis Smith combined to create Aston Villa’s second.
Aston Villa were now very comfortable, passing the ball around and making Birmingham City do all the hard work out of possession. A silly foul in the 28th minute by left back Darmarnick outside the box gave Birmingham City their first chance to get a shot on target, this resulted in Darmanick receiving his first yellow card of the season. Unfortunately, Birmingham City could not get the shot on target, hitting the free kick well over the goal, not troubling Kyle in goal.
First half finished 2-0 to Aston Villa.
The second half started much like the first, Aston Villa dominating possession mainly deep in the Birmingham city half. Even though this was the case, Aston Villa failed to convert anymore chances until towards the end of the game, finishing off Birmingham City’s chances of a comeback in the 88th minute, when our lively number 11, Ebrahim Sawo won the ball in his own half, drove forward with the ball and beat the last defender with a great counter attack, slotting the ball home with a tidy finish in a one vs one with the goalkeeper. Aston Villa 3-0 up and no hope for a comeback from Birmingham City.
Another great counter attack in the 90th minute cemented a 4-0 win for Aston Villa, a quick break from a Birmingham corner, a switched ball to Holy on the right wing, a fantastic low cross met by substitute Abdullah who slide in to finish goal number four.
A great day’s work by Aston Villa, now up to second in the league, setting the team up nicely for an away league fixture against third place Swindon Town FC next week (05/01/20).
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