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Villa won the second friendly of the 2016 campaign following the 8-0 victory over Graz last weekend, seeing off Telford United.
Villa started sluggishly and were behind in the third minute to a Dave Hibbert strike.
Whilst Villa initially looked disjointed, fielding a blend of fringe players, youth and both new signings, things soon gained a shape and purpose.
Villa created chances and largely controlled the game following Telford’s opener. Gestede was guilty of wastefulness, Ayew should have done better when put through one on one & Scott Sinclair found the post.
All in all it was a lack of sharpness keeping Villa behind.
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At half-time there were audible boos from the visiting fans.
This is, for many reasons a genuine head scratcher.
Whilst some of the faces on the pitch let us down last season, badly, a continuation of the unrest that the Randy Lerner regime enforced upon us is not the rational way forward.
It also makes us look small-time as supporters & a football club.
Whilst we weren’t setting the world alight in the first half, the performance hardly warranted eating into what confidence or rehabilitation of players is taking place behind the scenes.
Equally, the fact is that this was a largely meaningless fixture to build fitness and put new coaching ideas into practice.
Ultimately any paying fan has a right to voice their opinion and their views. However, Telford Utd at 12:45pm in July hardly seems the most relevant or purposeful place to do so.
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Villa continued where they left off in the second half & the breakthrough came after Hepburn-Murphy replaced Gestede. Against the backdrop of a fatigued Telford side the game swung yet further into Villa’s favour.
First Ayew struck, finishing well beyond Montgomery in the 80th minute.
As the game ticked away, Ayew turned creator, crossing for Cissohko to head in the winner. Game over.
The other half of Villa’s first team and development squad face Worcester City from 3pm in the second friendly fixture of the day.
Up The Villa.
Aston Villa side that faced Telford:
Gollini, Suliman, Elphick (Mason 86), Baker, Cissokho, Gana, Westwood, Green, Ayew, Sinclair, Gestede (Hepburn-Murphy 76) Subs not used: McKirdy, Cowans, Johannsen.
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