Game details
Match: Aston Villa U23s v Norwich City U23s
Date: Monday 23rd April 2018
Competition: Premier League 2
Venue: Villa Park
Kick-off: 7pm
Scoring summary
Payne
Analysis
Aston Villa U23s suffered their second defeat in the space of four days after going down 1-0 to Norwich City U23s at Villa Park.
Having won eight successive games in all competitions prior to the weekend, the Young Lions have now lost their last two league games as they prepare to contest the end-of-season Play-Offs.
Norwich scored the only goal of the game on 20 minutes when Alfie Payne's shot from outside the box took a substantial deflection to beat goalkeeper Matija Sarkic.
Rushian Hepburn-Murphy squandered the chance to bring the scores level shortly after when dragging his shot wide from close range, while Jake Doyle-Hayes came closest in the second-half with a free-kick.
Despite the loss, Villa have consolidated second place in Division 2, and will now host fifth-placed Reading in a one-legged Play-Off tie at Villa Park.
Focus now switches to the Premier League Cup, however, where Kevin MacDonald's side travel to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester City U23s in the semi-finals this Friday.
Line-up
VILLA: Sarkic, Bazeley-Graham, Suliman, Revan, Borg, Doyle-Hayes, Lyden, Cox, Blackett-Taylor, Hepburn-Murphy, Mooney. SUBS: Watkins, Clark, Prosser, Walker, Odutayo.