COUNTY 5 ASTON VILLA U21 2

NEWPORT County AFC completed their pre-season campaign with a flourish by fighting back to crush a talented Aston Villa under-21 team 5-2 at Rodney Parade.

Two goals each for Christian Jolley and Lee Minshull and one from substitute Andrew Hughes saw County overturn a 2-1 deficit after the break and provided a big confidence boost six days before the League Two opener.

Accrington Stanley will provide a different set of problems on Saturday and will undoubtedly have more guile in defence, but they will surely not pass and move the ball with the quality of the Villa youngsters in the first half.

Exiles boss Justin Edinburgh gave a big hint of his plans for Saturday by picking a strong starting XI and they all gained valuable experience against Premier League stars of the future.

Starting in a 5-3-2 formation, Edinburgh picked Jamie Stephens in goal ahead of new signing James Bittner, with David Pipe and Andy Sandell out wide and a central three of Tony James, Ismail Yakubu and Byron Anthony.

The midfield trio consisted of Max Porter, Minshull and Adam Chapman, with Danny Crow and star man Jolley up front.

County started superbly with Sandell clipping the top of the bar after just three minutes following great interplay between Chapman and Crow.

But they were soon a goal down as Villa’s top man Jack Grealish ran on to Henry Cowans’ pass and beat Stephens with a well-hit low drive into the bottom corner of the net.

That was tough on the hosts and they deservedly levelled on 33 minutes when Jolley just about scrambled Sandell’s cross over the line.

But the Villa youngsters were ahead again within four minutes when Daniel O’Brien was given far too much space and time in the box to compose himself and slot the ball under Stephens.

The County stopper then stretched superbly to prevent Grealish from doubling the visitors’ advantage with a curler just before the interval.

But if youth trumped experience before the break it was the complete opposite after the interval as County poured forward and took charge of the contest.

First came a well-taken goal from substitute Hughes, just a few minutes after he had replaced James, then Minshull nodded in at the far post to give County the lead for the first time in the match.

And they didn’t take their foot off the gas as Crow clipped a good chance over the bar and Sandell saw a typical piledriver well saved before Jolley made it 4-2 from a yard out and Minshull crashed in a superb half-volley to put the result beyond doubt.

Villa, so impressive going forward in the first half, were demoralised by the end with their defensive frailties brutally exposed by some superb attacking play from Edinburgh’s men.

It was men against boys and, while it is unwise to get too carried away, this performance will have filled the County players and fans with plenty of optimism with the real action now less than a week away.

County: Stephens (Bittner, 82), Pipe, Anthony, James (Hughes, 53), Yakubu, Sandell, Porter (Jackson, 78), Chapman, Minshull, Crow (Zebroski, 62), Jolley (Washington, 81).

Sub not used: Doble.

Villa: Watkins, Lyden, Bateman, Webb, Kinsella (Wildin, 76), Cowans, Calder, O’Brien, Sellars (Strain, 68), Johnson, Grealish.

Sub not used: Bannister.

Referee: Lee Evans.

Attendance: 2,981.

Argus star man: Jolley