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| Two goals for Marvin Sordell at Villa |
A young side were beaten 3-0 at Bury four days ago, a game watched by manager Sean Dyche as we chased players ahead of the transfer deadline. We included a trialist in the starting line up at right back and two further trialists on the bench.
The team was: Danijel Nizic, Trialist, Tom Anderson, Alex Whitmore, Callum Richardson, Luke Daly, Nathan Lowe, Steven Hewitt, Evan Galvin, Jason Gilchrist, Jamie Frost. Subs: Tony Aghayere plus two trialists.
This afternoon it was a much changed side with only Anderson, Daly and Hewitt remaining with Dyche ensuring some of his first team squad got some action against Villa.
Today we lined up: Alex Cisak, Steven Reid, Kevin Long, Tom Anderson, Luke Conlan, Ross Wallace, Steven Hewitt, Luke Daly, Michael Kightly, Ashley Barnes, Marvin Sordell. Subs: Danijel Nizic, Alex Whitmore, Callum Richardson, Evan Galvin, Jamie Frost.
It took us less than a minute to go in front when Barnes heading home the perfect cross from Kightly who also had the ball in the net later only to see it ruled out for offside.
We did double the lead just after the half hour and almost in identical fashion. This time Barnes saw his header from Kightly's cross tipped onto the bar but Northern Ireland under-21 international Conlan headed in the rebound.
A goal for Barnes and one against the bar, and just before the hour he flicked the ball onto the post with Sordell this time benefiting from the rebound. That was 3-0 and Sordell got another when he finished well following a back heel from Barnes.
Kightly it was who finished the scoring, cutting in from the left and hitting a shot into the far top corner.
50 it ended with Kightly considered the man of the match as he works to get back to full fitness after missing a lot of pre-season. He said: "I'm just trying to get as fit as I can to push the lads that are starting for a spot. I need to be at full tilt to be able to do that so naturally these games provide a good platform for me to do so."
Kightly also had a word for the younger players in the team today. "I think they are all coming on really well," he said. "The two boys in central midfield Steven Hewitt and Luke Daly played very well and Luke Conlan got himself a goal and looked solid too."