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Aston Villa under 21s faced Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Trophy

Tue 8 October 2024 21:56, UK

Aston Villa Under-21s gave a positive account of themselves as they won on penalties against Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday 8 October.

Despite being under constant pressure from the home side, it was the Villans who took the lead as Trai-Varn Mulley nodded home a superb Bradley Burrowes cross.

This was a turn-up for the books which wasn’t overturned until late in the second half when Victor Adeboyejo headed home an Aaron Collins cross.

The match went to penalties to settle the winner of an additional bonus point. After seven penalties it was the away side who took the victory with a 4-1 win from 12 yards.

Here, Villa News rates the the Villans players out of 10 for their performances against Bolton, with the help of SofaScore stats.

Oliwier Zych – 9

The former Poland under-19s international was superb throughout, clearly benefiting from a loan spell and first team experience, making seven saves to keep his side in the game. As captain, he led by example and will have been so gutted to concede so late on. The keeper saved two penalties just to cap off a superb performance and take away the bonus point.

Ewan Simpson – 6

It was a quieter day for the right back than his teammate on the opposite side but it was still a tough night for Simpson up against the likes of Randell Williams and John McAtee. He did win one tackle and make two clearances as the Villans were consistently under the cosh.

Ethan Amundsen Day – 6

The 19-year-old was much the same as his defensive colleagues, under pressure throughout but, in the main, managed to stand up to that. The Norweigan kept up a 90 per cent pass accuracy which is something Unai Emery would be pleased to see.

Leon Routh – 6

The defender dealt with everything that was thrown at him by standing up and being accounted for, especially in the second half. With six clearances and one blocked shot, there was a lot to like about the 16-year-old’s showing against the League One outfit.

Rodrigo Fortes – 4

The young Englishman had a tough night with the majority of the Bolton attacks coming down his side and it was too much for him to deal with at times. This saw him win just three duels out of seven attempts, keeping a 42 per cent success rate throughout his appearance.

Trai-Varn Mulley scores winner for Aston Villa v Bolton Wanderers

Bradley Burrowes – 7

The wideman was brilliant in providing an assist for Mulley’s opener. His ability to stop and start in rapid fashion saw him get the better of his man before crossing a perfect ball in to put Villa in front. His 86 per cent pass accuracy was a big part of his game to take advantage of a counterattack when given the chance.

Aidan Borland – 5

There is no doubt that the 17-year-old put a shift in throughout despite only registering 41 touches on the night. The Scot did manage to maintain an 84 per cent pass accuracy which is positive given the pressure he was under from the opposition. He had the pressure of the opening penalty of the night and took it with aplomb. A first-team call-up could be in the pipeline in the near future.

Mikell Barnes – 5

Barnes performed similarly to his central midfield partner but could only manage a 79 per cent pass accuracy across his 27 passes by comparison. A tough night at the ToughSheet for the midfield but a positive showing nonetheless.

Max Jenner – 5

The midfielder played his role in the opener, picking out Burrowes who was able to find space on the right flank. It was a quiet night other than that for the number 85 who managed just 15 touches throughout his 65 minutes on the pitch.

Alfie Lynskey – 4

The forward was a willing runner on a tough night for the Vila forwards. Lynskey was only afforded 21 touches across his 57-minute showing with him failing to have a shot. A frustrating night on a personal note but that is no criticism up against one of the top sides in the competition.

Trai-Varn Mulley – 7

The 17-year-old found himself in the right place at the right time to nod home with his one and only shot of the game, maintaining a 100 per cent conversion rate against the League One outfit. This was his only true chance of the encounter but a moment to remember for sure.

Substitutes

I-Lani Edwards – 5

Cole Brannigan – 5

Keilan Quinn – 5

In other Aston Villa news, Villa’s owners make a £50m decision as full details have now been shared.

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