fantram

The U18s beat Spurs 4-2 on Saturday. Jack Grealish with two goals, Jordan Graham scored a penalty, and Charlie Ward got the fourth

While the first team were getting thrashed at Soton, the U18s went down 3-2 at home to Sunderland

For the record, here are the results to date, and fixtures for Group 4 of the NextGen.

15 August

Aston Villa 1 Sporting Lisbon 3

Goalscorer: Michael Drennan

Team: Barrett; Bateman, Devine, Derrick Williams, Calder (Lewis 75, Watkins-Clark 90); Barton (Eminoglu 75), Ward (Crowley 82), Melvin, Graham; Grealish, Drennan.

Substitutes not used: Watkins, Strain, O'Brien.

29 August

PSV Eindhoven 1 Aston Villa 0

Team: Watkins; Barton, Bateman, Devine, Cameron; Graham, Ward, Melvin, Carruthers; Grealish, Drennan.

Substitutes: Hill, Watkins-Clark, Eminoglu, Calder, Strain, Sellars, O'Brien.

19 September

Aston Villa 2 Celtic 1

Goalscorers: Samir Carruthers, Malcolm Melvin

Team: Hill; Bateman, Devine, Watkins-Clark, Derrick Williams; Grealish (Ward 71), Carruthers, Melvin, Graham; Robinson (Barton 38), Drennan.

Substitutes not used: Watkins, Lewis, Calder, Wildin, Crowley.

Fixtures

24 October – Celtic away

7 November – PSV Eindhoven home

28 November – Sporting Lisbon away

Great article, BOF, and I totally agree "Villa just became exciting again"

The Under 18s were held 2-2 at Bodymoor Heath by Spurs in their final game of a rather average season but, as VillaRoy says, the U18 team this season featured quite a few much younger players than usual due to several U18s playing regularly in te Reserves.

Goalscorers: Graham Burke, Michael Drennan

Team: Hill; Donacien, Bateman, Melvin, Watkins-Clark (Lewis 46); Devine, Barton (Nelson 57), Ward, Graham; Drennan (Serrano de la Cruz 89), Burke.

Substitutes not used: Barrett, Danny Williams.

OS report here.

The Under 18s beat Pompey 4-0 at the weekend at Bodymoor Heath.

Goalscorers: Graham Burke, Liam Bateman, Jack Grealish, Jordan Graham

Team: [No details]

There is a match report on the OS.

The final game of the season is on Saturday – at home against Spurs.

Season stats to date

Played 27

Won 11

Drawn 6

Lost 10

Goals For 62

Goals Against 50

Goal Diff. +12

Points 39

Which leaves Villa in mid table – 5th in the 10 team Premier Academy Group B – and that won’t change regardless of the result in the final match.

The Under 18s did a bit better than their first team counterparts against Chelski at the weekend.

Chelsea 0 Villa 0

Report on the OS

The OS report is here. A couple of Under 16s, Jordan Lyden and Riccardo Calder, had to be drafted into the team due to illness of some players. I had forgotten that Mark Delaney coaches the Under 16s

The Under 18s went down to two late goals at Arsenal on Saturday, after a first half lead through Juan José Serrano de la Cruz Vidal. There’s a match report on the Arse website here

3 March – Aston Villa 3 Norwich City 1

Goalscorers: Jack Grealish (2, 1 pen.), Bradley Lewis

Yes, another good win Callum Robinson got both goals.

Match report on the OS here

The Under 18s drew 2-2 with league leaders Reading on 25 Feb. We played the second half with ten men after Umit Eminoglu was sent off just before half time.

Goalscorers: Umit Eminoglu, Bradley Lewis

Team: [No details]

Report on the OS

Grealish came on as an 82nd minute sub for the Reserves at Swansea yesterday, so he's moving up......

Great win, and now 3 points clear at the top. We fielded a strong team with the likes of Bannan, Gardner, etc:

Barrett; Lichaj, Derrick Williams, Baker, Stevens; Carruthers, Gardner (Cameron 59), Bannan (Caira 89), Johnson; Burke (Drennan 77), Weimann.

Substitutes not used: B. Watkins, Nelson-Addy.

There's a match report on the OS here

28 January – Bristol City 0 Aston Villa 2

Goalscorers: Darious Darkin, Jordan Graham (pen.)

Match report on the OS

Well done to the young lads - it just wasn't our night, what with the poor reffing and all

There's a match report on the OS here

The NextGen Quarter Final clash with Marseille is on this Wednesday, 25 January.

The OS has been doing a preview series with info (ok, it’s a bit limited and in typical OS style!) – links to the 3 parts below:

Part 1 Defenders Siegrist , Barrett (keepers), Webb, Williams, Donacien, Bryan, Kinsella, Nelson-Addy.

Part2 Midfielders Carruthers, Johnson, Gardner, Cameron, Graham, Grealish.

Part 3 Strikers Burke, Drennan, Robinson, Taylor.

Up The Villa

21 January - sha 0 The Villa 4

Goalscorers: Bradley Lewis, Jordan Graham, Malcolm Melvin, Darious Darkin

Revenge for the home loss earlier in the season

14 January – Aston Villa 1 Coventry City 1

Goalscorer: Jordan Graham (pen.)

There is now a short match report for the Watford game on the OS.

Team: B. Watkins (Barrett 46); Jenkins, Bryan, Lewis, Kinsella (Bateman 72); Graham, Serrano de la Cruz, Melvin, Barton (Crowley 73); Grealish, Robinson.

Substitutes not used: Watkins-Clark, Danny Williams.

Crowley and Watkins-Clark are new names on me – anyone know anything about them?

Anyone see the game? Does Enda Stevens look like an immediate prospect for the first team?

7 January – Watford 1 Aston Villa 4

Goalscorers: Jordan Graham (2), Josh Barton, Callum Robinson

January 25, 7pm, and free for season ticket holders..... news from the OS at last

God, you lot are a bunch of fun. I suggest we save a few bob on the coach trip and just concede the points to Chelsea.