U23s: Norwich City 4 Aston Villa 2

Aston Villa fell to their first defeat of the season as they were undone 4-2 by Norwich City in Premier League 2 on Friday night.

Tim Iroegbunam’s long-range strike levelled matters at Carrow Road, cancelling out Jon Rowe’s early effort, to ensure it was all square at the interval.

But three goals in the space of 12 minutes early in the second half saw Villa’s Young Lions taste their first loss of the campaign in Division 2.

Abu Kamara netted a 49^th-minute penalty before Canaries skipper Jonathan Tomkinson bagged a brace to inflict the reverse, with Kahrel Reddin netting a late consolation deep into injury time.

Villa will now be looking to bounce back at home to midlands neighbours West Bromwich Albion next Friday.

Reddin was denied early on by a sliding challenge from Saxon Earley before the hosts also went close inside the opening exchanges.

And it was the Canaries who opened the scoring in the 13^th minute.

Thomas Dickson-Peters won possession on the edge of Villa’s penalty area and squared for Rowe, who showed composure inside the box before drilling a left-footed effort into the bottom corner.

The visitors came close to an immediate equaliser, Finley Thorndike twice denied by Jaden Warner after City goalkeeper Dylan Berry had saved from Tristan Goodridge.

An entertaining encounter continued to flow from end-to-end before the Young Lions drew level shortly before the break, Iroegbunam finding the net with a long-range strike.

Yet Villa found themselves behind again just four minutes into the second half as Kamara was upended in the area and he slotted home the resulting spot-kick.

And it was 3-1 shortly afterwards as Tomkinson converted from close range to leave Villa facing an uphill task.

That was made even harder just after the hour mark as Tomkinson headed home his second of the game from Tony Springett’s free-kick.

Villa looked for a route back into the encounter and Reddin bagged a consolation in the ninth minute of added time, but it was the hosts who claimed all three points, with Mark Delaney's side now striving to get back on track against the Baggies next time out.