FA Cup: Aston Villa 1 Peterborough 3 - Report

Keinan Davis gave the hosts the perfect start when he fired them in front after just eight minutes.

But they failed to build on the advantage and Jack Marriott deservedly levelled for Peterborough with 15 minutes remaining.

Birkir Bjarnason hit the bar for Villa but it was the visitors who went ahead when Ryan Tafazolli headed home at a corner, before Marriott sealed it in stoppage time.

Analysis

The goals might have come later but the win was, in truth, nothing more than the visitors deserved after dominating large portions of the game.

Villa had Jed Steer to thank for keeping them in front for so long, with the keeper pulling off a string of fine saves to deny Marriott and Danny Lloyd, while Liam Shepherd also hit the bar for the Posh.

This was only the sixth ever meeting between the clubs and the first time Peterborough had tasted victory.

Villa’s line-up was admittedly much changed but still contained several senior players and boss Steve Bruce will be seriously disappointed with the showing.

While some fringe players did grasp their chance to impress, Steer in particular, others failed to shine as Villa suffered to another disappointing cup exit.

As expected, Villa’s line-up was much-changed from the team which beat Bristol City 5-1 on New Year’s Day, with midfielder Conor Hourihane the only man to keep his place in the starting XI.

It was not, however, a team lacking in experience. The most notable team news saw the return of skipper John Terry following two months out with a broken foot, while Iceland international Birkir Bjarnason was handed a rare start.

Winger Andre Green, also returning after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, was meanwhile one of five players in the team aged 20 or under.

Only a fine save from visiting keeper Jonathan Bond prevented Green from marking his return with a goal inside the opening 20 seconds.

Villa broke from the kick off and when Davis found Green on the left, he unleashed a powerful right-footed shot which Bond was alert to keep out.

That was the trigger for a lively opening in which the visitors more than played their part.

Indeed, they might have led had Lloyd been able to keep his shot down after James Bree, playing alongside Terry in central defence, scuffed a clearance.

Instead it was Villa who went ahead on eight minutes as Davis netted his third of the season.

The striker had almost turned provider only moments before when he broke down the right but Callum O’Hare hesitated after collecting the pass, allowing Steven Fletcher to make a last-ditch challenge.

Davis, however, needed no invitation when Ritchie De Laet’s cross was deflected into his path, hooking home a low shot on the turn which Bond got a hand to but was unable to keep out.

The visitors rallied impressively on only good goalkeeping, poor finishing and luck prevented Villa from being pegged back.

Steer saved well diving to his right to keep out a curling Marcus Maddison shot after Josh Onomah had lost possession in midfield.

Strong reflexes were needed again from the keeper to deny Leonardo Lopes, while Villa then had the woodwork to thank after Liam Shepherd’s looping header came off the underside of the bar, Lloyd pulling the rebound wide when he looked certain to score.

The visitors continued to have the better of things but could find no way past Steer, who twice denied Marriott in the closing minutes of the half after the striker had been played through on goal.

Henri Lansbury replaced Green at the break but the switch did not change the flow of the game, as the visitors continued to make the running.

Lloyd curled an effort from outside the box just over the bar and then somehow failed to make contact with Maddison’s low cross which fizzed across the face of Villa’s goal.

A Lansbury shot, which Bond gathered at the second attempt, was a rare moment of alarm in the visiting box as Peterborough dominated the early stages of the second half.

Only in the final 20 minutes did the hosts begin to come alive.

Bond denied Davis a second with a sharp save and then came racing out to deny O’Hare at close range, after the youngster had latched on to Lansbury’s clever through ball.

Just as Villa looked to be reviving, the visitors finally got the goal their efforts deserved as Steer was finally beaten.

Shepherd’s cross from the right was thumped back across goal by Lloyd and Marriott was in the right place to divert it home from four yards out, before running to celebrate in front of 4,500 jubilant travelling supporters

Villa should have gone back in front but Bjarnason somehow hit the bar from point blank range after arriving to meet Hourihane’s free-kick at the far post.

Instead it was the visitors who got the next goal as Tafazolli headed home at a corner, the final touch coming off a Villa defender.

Marriott then sealed it in stoppage time as Peterborough broke and he converted Maddison’s centre.

Key Moments

1 - Almost a dream start for Villa as Andre Green’s shot is kept out by Peterborough keeper Jonathan Bond.

8 - GOAL - Keinan fires Villa ahead, hooking home left-footed after Ritchie De Laet’s cross is deflected into his path.

25 - OFF THE BAR - Liam Shepherd’s looping header hits the underside of the bar, Danny Lloyd pulls the rebound wide.

75 - GOAL Peterborough deservedly draw level as Jack Marriott converts at close range.

83 - GOAL Ryan Tafazolli heads the visitors in front at a corner.

90 - GOAL Marriott seals victory with his second of the game.

Teams

Villa (4-3-3): Steer, De Laet, Bree, Terry, Taylor, Onomah, Hourihane, Bjarnason (Hepburn-Murphy 80), O'Hare (Grealish 80), Davis, Green (Lansbury HT) Subs not used: Elmohamady, Elphick, Doyle-Hayes, Bunn (gk).

Peterborough: Bond, Shepherd, Tafazolli, Taylor, Hughes, Lopes (Morais 72), Grant ©, Forrester, Lloyd, Marriott, Maddison Subs not used: Baldwin, Penny, Kanu, Doughty, Anderson, O’Malley (gk).