Town’s U18 side concluded their pre-season preparations with a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa at Playford Road on Saturday afternoon. First team striker Pablo Couñago, who has been training with the youths following a bust-up with Roy Keane, watched the game from the sidelines.

Villa took the lead after nine minutes when striker Connor Taylor reacted quickest to the rebound following good build-up play on the left-hand side.

Defender Callum Bennett came closest to equalising for Town in the first half when he made a strong burst from right-back, but his shot was tipped around the post by Villa keeper Benjamin Siegrist.

Josh Carson, who was an unused sub with the first team at Exeter on Tuesday night, saw his freekick fumbled by Siegrist before Villa broke and skipper Daniel Johnson somehow managed to put the ball over the bar from six yards.

The young Blues were controlling the flow of the match with plenty of the ball, but they failed to create many clear-cut chances against a strong Villa defence.

Town skipper Josh Meekings conceded a penalty after 70 minutes when he was adjudged to have pulled back one-time Town academy trialist Derrick Williams from a corner. Williams took the penalty himself but it was a poor attempt and it was comfortably saved.

However, Villa did double their lead on 79 when Graham Burke followed up some impressive play from Samir Carruthers and slotted home the visitors’ second.

Town’s Canadian striker Caolan Lavery dragged a left-foot shot wide of the post late on but overall the visitors probably deserved the win as they took their chances and defended well throughout.

Aaron Jones was probably the stand-out performer in midfield for Town, but again the failure to create and take chances was the Blues’ downfall.

The U18s begin their league season when they travel to Wolves next Saturday lunchtime (KO 12 noon).

Photo: Action Images

Back_The_Boss added 22:24 - Aug 14 Goodbye Pabs, anyone who argues with Keane might as well head to the exit route.
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BasingstokeBranch added 22:28 - Aug 14 Good effort from Pabs to watch the U18s from the sidelines though.
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renshaw added 23:33 - Aug 14 Bye Pabs Adios Amigos!
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suffolksam added 00:19 - Aug 15 walters and pablo whats keane at ? at this rate 90% of the team will be standing on the sidelines halfway into the season.this could start to effect morale again this year
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ChambersM added 12:20 - Aug 15 The bottom line is that the club has been a mess now for over a year with all these player manager bust ups, people walking out, changing of the captaincy every week, and let's not forget the football...etc. and it all started when you know who came in. All I'm going to say.
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jas0999 added 14:10 - Aug 15 ChambersM - I think it's time that you consider supporting another club. It's obviously upsetting you too much. It's not worth it. Move on. Just to clarify, do you believe 4 points out of the first 6 is a bad return?
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ChambersM added 15:09 - Aug 15 I'm not suddenly going to fall in love with our scumbag of a manager (who I have no respect for and don't understand people who do) over two good results....football isn't just about what happens on the pitch and the man is leading us nowhere good off it. As for Pablo training with the youths that's an utter joke, and people say Pablo himself throws his toys out the pram...unbelievable. And I'm not goin to support another team thanks, but itfc are a mess.

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jas0999 added 16:34 - Aug 15 I am not asking you to fall in love with the manager - just acknowledge that's it's been a good start to the season. Do you not agree with 4 points out of 6 is a good return? Can you not see that there are some positives as well as negatives? We don't all have to agree, but not everything is always Roy's fault. Pablo I doubt has helped the situation.
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ChambersM added 17:01 - Aug 15 Yes 4/6 points is a very good return. A relegation dog fight after spending, what 10M (?) and with all the off field problems, is not, the guy did not deserve another chance. And Pablo is still a good player who has the right to enquire why he hasn't been given a chance recently x
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ITFCcharmer added 08:36 - Aug 16 i've heard from a club insider that keene has threatened both Pablo and Walters with violence during their bust ups! ni one can argue that the start to the season has been a good one but do we really want an angry Irish thug/bully in charge of our football team?????
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footyfan182 added 12:21 - Aug 18 Well done aran jones watched him play last year in U16's there was some very good players in the team should be a good year for u18's this year fingers crossed.
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danesmill added 10:01 - Aug 24 Ole Ole Ole Ole - that's what will be sounding from the terraces at Palace as Owen Garvan and Pablo link up with the rest of our transferred players! Watch them go and let's hope we are not lagging too far behind!!!!
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