Convincing Win In Round 3 Of The Youth FA Cup

Villa stormed to a 4-0 win over 3rd Round opponents Rochdale tonight, with Gary Gardner again seriously impressing.

It wasn't a close game by any stretch of the imagination in reality, but that's not to do a disservice to Rochdale, we do just have a fantastic group of lads coming through the Academy again.

Benjamin Siegrist was making his first appearance following his U17 World Cup exploits with Switzerland, and Gary Gardner was back in the squad after seemingly appearing for everyone, at every level, other than our first team of late.

It didn't take long before Villa took the lead, Lampkin put in the cross and Gardner controlled and stuck the shot away on 19 minutes.

Rochdale came back into the game for a while after that, and Siegrist was called into action a number of times, including a fantastic double save 5 minutes after our goal.

This didn't seem to faze our boys much a few short minutes later Gardner picked the ball up 25 yards from the goal and curled a fantastic shot into the net.

2-0 at halftime and Rochdale had no chance.

The second half took a while to warm up with no real chances of note for either side until Ryan Simmonds went on a little solo run from our half and capped it nicely by scoring on 56 minutes.

The match was well and truly over on 69 minutes when Durrell Berry (who had earlier replaced Simminds following a knock) whipped in the ball for Gardner to take the match ball and his hattrick.

Both sides had other chances, and Gardner could've well made his total 4 for tonight but who can quibble at a 4-0 victory?

VILLA: Siegrist, Grocott, Deeney, Devine, Williams, Gardner, Lampkin (Roberts), Blythe, Poyser, Simmonds (Berry), Carruthers (Halfhuid). Subs: Barratt (Gk), Stieber.

ROCHDALE: Taberner, Brizell, Buckley, Benjamin (Bell), Roche, Brown, Hogan, Byrne, Gray (Bentham), Sheriff, Andre (Murray). Subs: Andrews (Gk), Dale.

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