Academy manager Terry Westley

Blues U18's suffered a heavy defeat to city rivals Aston Villa at the weekend but the result gave a very unfair reflection of the game.

Academy manager Terry Westley was delighted with the overall display of his side which had dominated the possession for long periods and created several good scoring opportunities.

Unfortunately four defensive errors, which Westley described as 'horrendous', gifted the hosts an unwarranted victory.

Although the Academy boss admitted that his side could not expect to get anything from a game when they conceded two goals in the first three minutes.

"We told them before the game how important it was to start well and get an early foothold in the match.

"And what happened? We were 2-0 down after three minutes!

"It was one of the first times here where I have sat in the dugout feeling really dejected, thinking 'I cannot believe what has happened'.

"Villa scored again just before half time but all three goals were giveaways, due to horrendous mistakes.

"Take the goals that we conceded out of the equation and our performance was good.

"We dominated the possession, forced more corners and created more of the chances.

"We had more attacking free kicks around their box where they've been forced to foul us.

David Joyce scored Blues' consolation goal.

"Aaron Moses Garvey, Dean Lea and Robert Gradwell all missed great opportunities to score in the first half.

"We eventually got a goal back early in the second half to make it 3-1, David Joyce scoring when the ball dropped to him from a corner, but another defensive mistake gifted them a fourth goal.

"When you look at the scoreline on paper it looks like a bad result, and it was, but I know how well we played in between the goals.

"The Villa team got a right telling off at the end because of the extent to which we had dominated the game.

"There were positives because we had played so well but we have got to defend a lot better inside our own area.

"We have been out training today with defending high on the agenda!

"I know we are getting close but it tests your beliefs after a result like that.

"It is a kick in the crotch but we have to dust ourselves down because we have a really difficult game on Saturday against a Leicester side that are second in the table."

Jordon Mutch was the 'best player on the pitch' against Villa.

Fifteen-year-old Jordon Mutch enhanced his ever-growing reputation with a man-of-the-match performance in the centre of midfield.

"We had the best player on the pitch in Jordon Mutch," added Westley.

"Jordon did very well, so much so that the Villa staff were saying to their players afterwards 'why have you let a 15-year-old dominate the game?'

"Him and Mitch (McPike) as schoolboys in the centre of midfield gave impressive displays and if it wasn't for some horrendous defensive mistakes, we matched them."

Blues: Krysiak, McKerr (Rutter 58), Timmins, Mutch, Rowe, Joyce, Sammons (O'Brien 58), M McPike, Gradwell, Moses Garvey (Osman 70), Lea.