Wolves 0
Aston Villa 2 (McKirdy 21, Lyden 31)
Aston Villa took a two goal lead into the break after a disappointing first-half showing from Wolves and although the Molineux men improved significantly after the resumption, they could find no way past in form Swedish keeper Viktor Johansson.
There was an early chance for Donovan Wilson who chested down a through ball that had caught in the wind before swivelling and hitting a low shot that was taken by Johansson.
Michal Zyro wasn’t too far away with an angled volley and whilst Villa looked dangerous when they went forward, Harry Burgoyne didn’t have any direst saved to make in the opening 20 minutes.
Villa skipper Jordan Lyden was late with a challenge on Prince Oniangue, and it was no surprise when he was shown the yellow card.
The visitors took the lead in the 21st minute following a corner from Jake Doyle-Hayes. The ball was flicked on in a congested six-yard box to Harry McKirdy who headed past Burgoyne. The keeper got a hand to the ball but couldn’t keep it out.
Two minutes later Pedro Goncalves almost levelled things with a first time shot that flashed wide after Conor Ronan’s corner had been half cleared to him on the edge of the box.
Then Sherwin Seedorf tried his luck from a similar position with his drive taking a deflection that diverted the ball inches wide of the far post.
But it was Seedorf’s misplaced pass that led to Villa going two up in the 31st minute with Lyden intercepting and lifting the ball over the advancing Burgoyne.
Five minutes before the break Kortney Hause made a great clearance from in front of goal after Callum O’Hare had looked certain to make it three.
Half-Time: Wolves 0 Villa 2
Wolves looked brighter from the restart and from the second of two Ronan corners, Zyro’s header was saved by Johansson.
Goncalves was booked after tripping a Villa player before Johansson was forced into a diving save by Seedorf who had taken a cross from Oniangue. Seedorf was then replaced by Dan Armstrong.
It took an athletic effort from Johansson to deny Ronan whose 20-yard free-kick was dipping under the bar until the keeper turned it over.
Armstrong then broke clear and looked good to reduce the deficit but Johansson once again came to the visitors rescue as he cut out the winger’s low shot.
Jack Grealish was booked for a foul on Oniangue and almost immediately he was replaced by Jordan Cox. Another Villa change followed shortly afterwards with Jacob Bedeau taking over from James Bree.
After 72 minutes it took a great save from Burgoyne to keep out Hakeem Odoffin’s misplaced clearance. The loose ball ran to Corey Blackett-Taylor who, from a couple of yards out, fired over the bar.
Aaron Collins went on for Jose Xavier for the closing stages and in stoppage time the striker jinked past two challenges as he ran into the box but his final shot was way off the mark.
Wolves: Burgoyne, Oniangue, Deslandes, Goncalves, Odoffin, Hause, Zyro, Ronan, Wilson (capt), Xavier (Collins 77), Seedorf (Armstrong 52).
Unused subs: Buur, John, Yang.
Booking: Goncalves (49 – foul).
Villa: Johansson, Bree (Bedeau 64), Borg, Lyden (capt), Suliman, Finnerty, Blackett-Taylor, Doyle-Hayes, McKirdy (Knibbs 87), Grealish (Cox 60), O’Hare.
Unused subs: Idem, Prosser.
Bookings: Lyden (17 – foul), Grealish (59 – foul).
Referee: S. Yianni.
Attendance: 225.
