After his excursions with the Welsh Under-21's, David Williams was back at the helm as the City Academy Under-18's continued their impressive start to the new campaign with a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa at Colney on Saturday. Both goals came after the break with Seb Muddel putting the Canaries in front before Villa levelled the score. Indeed the visitors will feel that they did enough in the final quarter of the game to maybe take all three points. It was Villa who were the first to get sight of goal after a mix-up in the City defence allowed Morgan Evans a shot that failed to trouble City keeper Shane Herbert. City's front pairing of Bally Smart and Asmat El Ouargui were causing the visitors defence plenty of problems with their pace as City started to come more and more into the game.

Asmat El Ouargui in action

Patrick Bexfield passes the ball out of defence

The pair created a good opening on the quarter-hour mark when El Ouargui raced onto a through ball and it needed the Villa keeper Stephen Henderson to come out of his area to chest the ball away. Even then the ball fell to Smart who could only send a looping effort wide of an empty net. Smart then had the best chance of the game so far when he picked up a stray pass affording him an unchallenged run at Henderson. Alas for the City striker he could only screw his shot wide of the far post. Shortly into the second half and City almost went a goal behind when Scott Bridges met a low cross at the near post. Fortunately for the Canaries, he could only direct his effort into the side netting. With 56 minutes on the clock City opened the scoring with a goal to savour, and in some ways it was similar to the goal scored by Andrew Fisk at Watford last week.

Patrick Bexfield started the move with a ball out of defence to El Ouargui. He in turn found Lee Howlett who quickly sent Seb Muddel clear down the left flank before the City winger cut inside to curl a super shot into the far corner. Sadly City's lead lasted only nine minutes before Villa pulled level. Some slack marking at the back saw Zoltan Stieber with acres of space in the penalty area and he had plenty of time to pick his spot as he fired it past Herbert. As the game moved into the final 20 minutes it was Villa who looked the most likely to find a winner and it needed a smart one handed save from Herbert to keep the Canaries unbeaten record intact.

Matthew Halliday keeps his eye on the ball

City Line-Up: Herbert, Bexfield, Gusterson, Spillane [Quaye 55], Halliday, Howlett, Muddel, Fisk [Cave-Brown 85], El Ouargui [Martin 60], Smart, Thrale. Sub Not Used: Lewis. Top Canary: Glen Thrale. NORWICH CITY Under-16's 1 ASTON VILLA Under-16's 3 Matthew Daniels was on target for the U16's but that did not prevent Dale Brook's side going down 3-1 to Aston Villa.

Further Action From The Match
Chris MArtin with one eye on the ball and one on his marker	Lee Howlett
A Violla defender climbs above Bally Smart	City's Alvin Quaye
Lee Howlett and Alvin Quaye	Andrew Fisk comes away with the ball
Report and Pictures are courtesy of John Landamore.	Glen Thrale receives some attention from Academy physio Rod Dyer