Claret Villans
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Aston Villa fire four past Burton Albion in pre-season friendly

By Josh Tonti

TELFORD, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Andre Green of Aston Villa during the Pre-season friendly between AFC Telford United and Aston Villa at New Bucks Head Stadium on July 14, 2018 in Telford, England. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
TELFORD, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Andre Green of Aston Villa during the Pre-season friendly between AFC Telford United and Aston Villa at New Bucks Head Stadium on July 14, 2018 in Telford, England. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images) /
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It was all smiles at the Pirelli Stadium for Aston Villa. The claret and blue fired four goals past Burton Albion in the club’s fourth official pre-season friendly to win the Bass Charity Vase.

Aston Villa trotted-out on Saturday against the recently-relegated Burton Albion for another pre-season tune-up. The Villans fired four past the Brewers, courtesy of Jonathan Kodjia, Albert Adomah, Ritchie De Laet, and Gary Gardner (!)

Ville began the match in a 4-3-3, but switched to a 3-back system about 25 minutes in (similar to the 4-1 defeat of Walsall).

Aston Villa XI: Steer (gk); Hutton, Chester, Taylor; De Laet, Lansbury, Hourihane, Green; Grealish; Adomah, Kodjia.

Substitutes: 

60th-minute entrants: Glenn Whelan, Gary Gardner, Jake Doyle-Hayes, Tommy Elphick, Corey Blackett-Taylor

65th-minute entrant: Mitch Clark

70th-minute entrants: James Bree and Easah Suliman

80th-minute entrant: Harvey Knibbs

Reserve goalkeepers Matija Sarkic and Mark Bunn were the only players who did not feature against Burton.

Villa began with their foot on the accelerator as Jonathan Kodjia scored in under five minutes after some nifty work from Ritchie De Laet and Jack Grealish. Villa carried that narrow 1-0 lead into halftime after an onslaught of Burton attacks ended up narrowly missing Jed Steer’s net. Burton’s Marvin Sordell and Lucas Akins combined effectively along the right flank for several good chances.

But the defense held and the good guys in claret and blue tripled down for three second-half goals. Albert Adomah finished from a close angle:

Ritchie De Laet did it all by himself for goal No. 3:

Substitutes Corey Blackett-Taylor and Gary Gardner combined for goal No. 4:

Aston Villa won some sort of trophy for this friendly called the Bass Charity Vase. It’s no Cup of Traditions, but silverware is silverware and beggars cannot be choosers. Villa next face West Ham United on Wednesday in a short turnaround. After that, it’s Dynamo Dresden in Germany next weekend then the start of the season!

UTV

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