Wolves made it five wins from five in the Premier League 2 as the under-23s put in another dominant performance against their West Midlands rivals to beat Aston Villa at Aggborough.
Taylor Perry opened the scoring in just the second minute of the game with a perfectly struck free-kick, before Chem Campbell curled an effort into the top corner. Harry Birtwistle added a third after the break when he intercepted the ball and finished neatly to lift James Collins’ side into the top three places in Division 2 with just six matches to go in the season.
Wolves made the perfect start to the contest when Perry stepped up to a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area and fired a sumptuous effort over the Villa wall and into to the top left corner of the net, giving Oliwier Zych no chance.
The visitors grew into the match having fallen behind and almost got themselves an equaliser with Chisom Afoka trying to capitalise on a Palmi Arinbjornsson, but the Wolves keeper was able to recover and make a save. Moments later, Lee Harkin fired an effort wide of the post from a Birtwistle cross.
Wolves continued to put Villa under pressure and although Zych thwarted Campbell from a tight angle after the winger made a tricky run into the box, but the keeper could do nothing to deny the Welshman doubling Wolves’ tally when he curled a pinpoint effort into the top corner having skipped past several claret and blue shirts.
The hosts came out in the second-half with the same intensity that they showed in the first period, and it was Birtwistle – who made the move into the front three at the break – who was the man to capitalise on a high press as he nicked the ball off a hesitant Villa defence before racing into the penalty area and slotting a left-footed effort inside the far post.
Aston Villa fought on in the closing moments of the game as they pushed to earn a bit of pride from the game, but the Wolves defence stood strong to keep a successive clean sheet, and cement their place in the play-off positions.
COMING UP
James Collins’ side are back in action next Friday afternoon when they face a trip to the south coast to take on Southampton at the Staplewood Training Ground.
NEXT FIVE
25/03 Southampton (A)
01/04 Nottingham Forest (A)
10/04 Peterborough United (A) PLC
15/04 Middlesbrough (A)
18/04 Newcastle United (H)
TEAMS
Wolves: Arinbjornsson, Birtwistle (Tipton 79), Mosquera, Marques, Hubner, Bueno, Griffiths, Hodge (Lembikisa 46), Perry, Campbell, Harkin (Carty 86).
Unused subs: Estrada, Hodnett.
Villa: Zych, Munroe (Ealing 70), Smith, Swinkles, Barber, Vassilev (Appiah 63), Afoka (K. Young 85), Feeney, Lindley, B. Young, Patterson.
Unused subs: Wright, Bridge.
