Welsh international Leighton Phillips begins his career with Aston Villa today as a reluctant but uncomplaining substitute.

When he signed for £100.000 on Monday, the 24-year old midfield player must have been expecting to make his debut against Mil!wall at Villa Park.

But the team is the one that beat Everton 3-0 in the League Cup replay at Goodison Park and Phillips said:

“I can’t complain after watching that match. Naturally I want to play but its understandable that I should be on the bench. The team’s performance Everton was first-class. Three good goals and they played really well.”

The unchanged team means that Graham Moseley may have played his last game for Aston Villa unless they buy him.

Moseley is on from Derby, and could not play in the League Cup and Jim Cumbes took over.

Now Villa do not have a League match before Moseley’s loan period ends on Thursday.

They were due to have played Nottingham Forest on Wednesday but that game was put back a week in case the tie with Everton continued.

Manager Ron Saunders said “I would change a winning side if form justified it. But the lads all played well against Everton, so they stay in.

”In our other matches we have played well in patches but never throughout. On Wednesday they played well as a team throughout so they keep their places.”

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*Birmingham Daily Post*
Monday, 23 September 1974

Graydon’s hat-trick is new Villa ‘first’

The first hat-trick of Ray Graydon’s professional career placed him at the top of the League and League Cup scorers list with nine goals - eight of them in the League, as many as he scored in the whole of last season when he was Villa’s joint leading scorer.

Villa have now scored 13 goals at home in four matches - more even than Liverpool - and this was the second time this season that a Villa player has scored his first hat-trick in the League.

Sammy Morgan did so against Hull four games before and it is a long time since two Villa players scored hat-tricks in such a short space of time.

And I cannot remember when a Villa player last topped the scorers list, even if after only eight games.

Clearly trends have changed at Villa Park.

Indeed such was Villa’s command on Saturday that Graydon caused Jim Cumbes his most anxious moment as well.

Four minutes from the end the goalkeeper was forced to dive to save a misdirected back pass from Graydon.

The last few weeks have seen a reversal In Graydon’s fortunes. The fair-hared Bristolian started the season in dispute with the club over his contract and was barracked by supporters for missing two penalties in the friendly with Leeds.

When the third went in on Saturday many of the stand customers were on their feet applauding such is the fickle nature of fans.

It was a spectacular goal setting a seal on a match which threatened to become becalmed in the first half despite a fierce wind.

The wind was against Villa. and their problems intensified when 18-year-old Robby Campbell went off after nine minutes with a deep stud-hole in his shin.

His misfortune gave £100,000 substitute Leighton Phillips an early opportunity to come on but the swap was a midfield player for a striker. And when Frank Carrodus moved up alongside Sammy Morgan the absence of Campbell was emphasised.

Phillips quickly made his presence felt, skilfully creating room and passing the ball with telling accuracy.

He became involved In the game more than most and in the 44th minute started the move which led to Graydon’s first goal.

Ten minutes later Phillips was Involved in the attack in which Barry Kitchener stopped Graydon’s shot with his hand and Graydon took the penalty and scored.

But Phillips was not in the attack which brought the last goal.

As Villa’s quick, sweeping attacks kept the crowd roaring, lan Ross gave the bail to Graydon. He cut inside Alan Dorney and lashed a left foot shot as King dived the wrong way.

It was heady stuff and Kitchener and Dorney were booked by referee Clive Thomas as Millwall tried hopelessly to create something from the wreckage of their defence.

But amid all the spirit and aggression a thought remained.

Villa have scored 13 goals and conceded only two at home, yet In the same number of away games they have scored only two and conceded five. And although they beat Everton 3-0 in the League Cup at Goodison last week the Imbalance between home and away form must worry Ron Saunders, especially as his team visit Southampton on Saturday.