Ravaged by injuries, Villa face off against a top three side, to make matters worse it is neighbours Albion. They lost, but there was no disgrace here, Nigel Sims played what needed to be and was one of his greatest games in a Villa shirt, whilst 16 year old Wally Hazelden scored with his first shot on his debut to put Villa ahead before creating Villa's second to retake the lead. Win, lose or draw, the memories are far more important than that.

Eric Houghton's Villa lose for the fifth time in seven League games to make it five wins, two draws and ten defeats in seventeen division one games this season. 

Meanwhile, forward Wally Hazelden made a goalscoring debut aged 16 after joining from school football in June 1956. Whilst forward Roy Chapman made his final Villa appearance aged 23 before moving on to Lincoln City later this month. Chapman played for Villa between 1953-54 and 1957-58 making 19 appearances and scoring 8 goals.