CONOR CLIPS THE CANARIES’ WINGS
Hat-trick hero and kids help out Bruce
ASTON Villa manager Steve Bruce was able to shrug off any so-called pressure on his shoulders as hat-trick hero Conor Hourihane and two teenagers turned the Championship table upside down.
Bottom after Burton’s win over Birmingham City 17 hours earlier, Villa played more like a top team as they stormed past Norwich.
Hourihane and two 19-yearolds, Keinan Davis, making a superb league debut, and Andre Green, who has had less than a handful of starts, helped Villa secure their first Championship win of the season.
“It’s ridiculous to lurch into crisis. Two defeats in a week and the roof caves in again,” he said.
“Davis was magnificent on Monday in the reserves and my hand was forced because Scott Hogan wasn’t 100 per cent fit and Gabby Agbonlahor had a twinge in his back.
“I thought I’d go with the two youngsters and I nearly picked three with Callum O’Hare.”
Hourihane was one of Bruce’s first buys, but Davis has only been at Villa for a year from Biggleswade Town.
He went off to a hero’s reception when subbed four minutes from time and Bruce conceded afterwards he had not even heard of his star man’s previous club.
“Davis was against two big German centre halves – welcome to the Championship,” added Bruce.
“It was a fantastic debut from a young player who was playing Non-League with Biggleswade. I don’t even know where that is. I am pleased for Hourihane. He’s found the expectation here difficult.”
Being sent to the bottom of the table by Birmingham clearly had its effect. Villa fans were upset and stunned, but their players were aggressive and hungry.
They were all over Norwich in the first half, treating the vast Holte End to a party to replace the early season funeral.
Davis was at the centre of it and could have had three in the first 24 minutes but settled for making a goal with a pass that Hourihane left footed home in the 22nd minute.
These Canaries were ready for plucking. Green took a pass from sub Henri Lansbury, moved the ball to his right foot, and slammed it home.
Villa were so keen to build on that lead, they were out for the second half long before Norwich, boss Daniel Farke admitting he gave his team a roasting.
Norwich had hardly been seen until Harrison Reed’s 60th minute long ball was not dealt and Josh Murphy’s speed took him behind Villa’s defence for score.
Hourihane took a 68th minute punt on a 25-yarder and it deflected in to re-establish Villa’s two-goal cushion.
Villa’s defence dozed again when Murphy set up sub Nelson Oliveira to volley in his third of the season with 11 minutes left. But Hourihane then came up with another longrange cracker to lift Villa up the table next to Birmingham.
“I was angry,” said Farke, about his half-time talk. “We had a bad first half. That is why we lost. We made silly mistakes.
“Our passing quality was horrible, we were giving them gifts. That first half was probably the worst since I have been in charge.
“But I was content with our reaction in the second half and thought we could retrieve the game.”