Aston Villa survive crazy second half, advance to Premier League 2 play-off final
By Josh Tonti
A full strength Aston Villa under-23 side survived a crazy home test against Reading FC. The good guys in claret and blue advance to face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League 2 play-off final.
In case you haven’t heard, the Villa under-23s have been on a tear this season.
Led by the goal-scoring feats of Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, master class midfielder Callum O’Hare, and an astute defensive spine, Villa conclude the season with two all-or-nothing games.
On Friday, the under-23s travel to Liberty Stadium for a Premier League Cup Final against Swansea City (think of it as the FA Cup of English reserve football). But it was Villa Park on Tuesday that provided all the drama in Premier League 2, Division 2, play-off semi-final action (try saying that ten times).
Aston Villa Lineup (4-3-3): Sarkic; Bree, Suliman, Bedeau, Clark; Prosser, Clarke, Doyle-Hayes; O’Hare, Davis, Green.
Replete with several fringe first-teamers like James Bree, Keinan Davis and André Green, the under-23s survived a scoreless first half against Reading. But it was the strange, constantly changing scoreline of the second half that had the Villa faithful glued to their Twitter timelines. Or better yet, the live YouTube stream. Here I present you, an act in six acts:
GOAL! GOAL! GOAL!
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 1, 2018
It's all going off at Villa Park. @ReadingFC take the lead on the hour but their advantage lasts just a matter of seconds as Rushian Hepburn-Murphy equalises straight away! 1-1. #PartOfThePride pic.twitter.com/Yqqh883gRN
Good response, RHM!
GOAL! GOAL! GOAL!
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 1, 2018
What a turnaround! It's two in as many minutes for the Young Lions. Doyle-Hayes' whipped-in free-kick finds Easah Suliman at the back post, and his looping header nestles in the net. We lead 2-1! Crazy scenes.#PartOfThePride pic.twitter.com/OhJsQAI4On
Oh baby, let’s go!
#AVFC U23s 2-2 #ReadingFC U23s – 75mins...
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 1, 2018
Goals galore in this second half. The Royals are now level through Tom McIntyre's headed effort. Fifteen to play. Extra-time and penalties if needed this evening.
Watch the conclusion 👉 https://t.co/npy5MESH4a#PartOfThePride pic.twitter.com/nTw0wX4HEW
Meh.
GOAL! GOAL! GOAL!
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 1, 2018
🙈🙈🙈
We're back ahead! Hepburn-Murphy drives into the Reading penalty area and squares to Blackett-Taylor, who taps into an open net. It's now 3-2 to the Young Lions!#PartOfThePride #AVFC pic.twitter.com/iebM2ut8o9
Surely that’s it?!
GOAL!@ReadingFC back level - 3-3. 🤷♂️
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 1, 2018
Watch all the drama 👉 https://t.co/npy5MESH4a#PartOfThePride #AVFC pic.twitter.com/AEljvL45JY
Nope.
GOOOOALLLLL!!!!!
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 1, 2018
Deep into second-half stoppage time, it's than man Rushian Hepburn-Murphy yet again! His second goal of the night, his fourth in a week. And he may have just sent #AVFC U23s into the #PL2 Play-Off Final! #PartOfThePride pic.twitter.com/jixRbCAzrt
Aston Villa, folks. The reserve side richly deserved this win to advance after a stellar season in Division 2 play. The winner of Brighton v. Villa (data TBA) will advance to Division 1 alongside Blackburn Rovers’ youth team. Division 1’s twelve-team league houses many of England’s elite reserve sides including, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton, Spurs and Manchester City. But, before that can happen, Villa must play in a cup final – scheduled for this Friday, May 4th.
This is shaping up to be the wildest month of Aston Villa football in my lifetime. UTV.