6-0

Three-goal Sammy Morgan led Aston Villa to a spectacular first League win of the season last night and at the same time cost the club £12,000 under the terms of his transfer.

But even though he also had another ‘goal’ disallowed, the Northern Ireland international was not the only hero of a remarkable second half which saw five of Villa’s goals.

Sharing the applause of the crowd was ‘Chico’ Hamilton who fulfilled his potential, at last, by taking a major part in three of the goals and scoring the last.

When Villa signed Morgan they paid Port Vale £20,000 and agreed to add another £10,000 If he scored ten goals inside 42 games, plus another £1,000 a goal up to 20.

No doubt they will pay up happily for it was only after Morgan had bundled in the first goal, his tenth for Villa, that the rest of the team showed the form their fans’ demand.

That Villa should finish in such devastating command looked most unlikely after an initial 20 minutes which saw John Gidman spend five minutes off the field injured and some alarming mistakes by 20-year old Jake Findlay in goal.

It was only when Jeff Hemmerman headed against the post after 27 minutes that Villa found the confidence to break away and take the lead.

Goalkeeper Jeff Wealands dropped a shot from Brian Little and Morgan fell past Ray Graydon to prod the ball over the line.

Three minutes after the interval referee John Hough was the subject of the fans’ anger for dubiously refusing a second goal to Morgan, but he made amends a minute later.

Chris Nicholl headed in Hamilton’s corner and when the ball was blocked on the line, Morgan rammed in the rebound.

Villa were now in complete control and in the 52nd minute Ray Graydon headed in Hamilton’s cross from the left for No. 3.

There was then an 18 minute hiatus before, in the 70th minute Brian Little - abandoned by a defence appealing vainly for offside - pushed home another cross from Hamilton.

Morgan’s hat-trick was eight minutes away.

Once again the final pass came from Hamilton, on the right this time, and Morgan fought off both his own player, Little and Wealands to score Villa’s fifth.

There were just five minutes left when Hamilton ran through on his own to earn some reward for his first class approach work.

The only sour notes were provided by the over zealous Mr Hough for booking Villa’s Charlie Aitken and Nicholl and Hull’s Malcolm Lord and Steve Deere - the latter for being over possessive about the elusive Hamilton’s jersey.