ASTON VILLA 3 CITY 0
League Cup 2nd Round
1st September 1976
attendance 34,585
Scorers Little(33 & 46), Graydon(71)
Ref P Reeves
City Corrigan, Docherty, Donachie, Doyle, Watson, Power, Barnes, Conway, Royle, Hartford, Tueart – used sub Booth
Villa Burridge, Gidman, Smith, Phillips, Nicholl, Mortimer, Graydon, Little, Gray, Robson, Carrodus
FROM THE PRESS BOX
A LITTLE SPECTACULAR
2 GOAL BRIAN BLASTS THE HOLDERS OUT
DAVE HORRIDGE WRITING IN THE DAILY MIRROR 2ND SEPTEMBER 1976
Two brilliant goals by Villa’s Brian Little swept Manchester City, last season’s winners, out of the League Cup last night.
It was almost one-way traffic in this second round tie as Villa avenged last week’s First Division defeat at Maine Road, and Little was the star of the show.
Little put Villa ahead with a spectacular overhead kick…
Ray Graydon’s corner kick brushed off Chris Nicholl’s head to Little on the edge of the six yard box. Little hooked the ball over his left shoulder as he fell, and scored just inside the far post.
There had been only rare glimpses of a goal before that, and Villa provided most of them.
Andy Gray placed a header just wide and a Frank Carrodus volley was turned over the goal-angle superbly by Joe Corrigan…
… But City hit back and both Dennis Tueart and Peter Barnes were unlucky to score.
… Before the second half was a minute old, Little put Villa two up.
Nicholl chased Joe Royle deep into City’s half and his tackle sent the ball into the penalty area, where both Gray and Little were unmarked. Little opted for the shot and swept the ball low past Corrigan from 12 yards.
… Graydon tapped in Villa’s third goal after Mike Docherty’s pass across his own goalmouth went astray.