Andy Lochhead, the former Aston Villa striker who almost spearheaded a remarkable Wembley League Cup final triumph against Tottenham in 1971, is planning a warm reception for Villa in the FA Cup tomorrow.

Lochhead, now first team coach to Villa’s third round opponents, Oldham, is confident that the Lancashire club can win.

“We are gradually coming to grips with playing in a higher division and after our rather indifferent form of the last two months I believe we are on the way back.” said Lochhead yesterday.

“Our 1-0 victory over Manchester United last Saturday has done wonders for our morale and we feel that Villa could be in for a big shock this time.”

Lochhead, who became full-time coach at Oldham at the start of the season after scoring 10 goals in their promotion campaign, added: “Villa seem to be going through a rough patch at the moment.

“They beat us up here at Boundary Park in October but they were rather fortunate and we will provide tougher opposition for this game.”

Villa’s 2-1 victory on that occasion was marred by the sending off of John Gidman, their England Under-23 full back, after a clash with Alan Groves which cost him a three-match suspension.

Ron Saunders, Villa’s manager, subsequently claimed that Groves had “taken a dive” and it led to a heated and angry exchange in the visitors’ tearoom afterwards between him and the player. But Lochhead hopes there will be no acrimony between the two sides when they take the field for the Cup-tie. “As far as we are concerned that incident is a closed book,” said Lochhead. “No good can come out of trying to build it up into a big issue.”

Oldham, who have won only one of their last 14 matches, will be without their new signings, Les Chapman from Huddersfield and David Holt from Bury, because they are cup-tied.

Villa will have a depleted look about them, too. With injuries to several senior players, it is almost certain that teenagers Bobby McDonald and Frank Pimblett will make their FA Cup debuts in midfield in place of Frank Carrodus and Leighton Phillips.

A further sad blow for Villa, however, is that they are unlikely to be given the normal backing they receive at away games. For the club yesterday returned 500 of the 800 stand tickets allocation they obtained from Oldham.

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*Birmingham Daily Post*
Monday, 30 December 1974

Ellis rocket lifts troubled Villa By lAN WILLARS

Aston Villa’s players and directors breathed a sigh of relief after Saturday’s easy FA Cup third round victory. It came at the end of a week which most of them will want to forget and which began with a pathetic display at Cardiff the previous Saturday when they were thrashed 3-1 and looked anything but Second Division promotion challengers.

Doug Ellis said: “For the first time in my chairmanship I went into our dressing room last week and said things to the players which I never believed I would say.

“I was bitterly disappointed and told them so in no uncertain fashion. But I hope all that can be forgotten now, particularly after the way they won today:’

Ellis’s rocket plus the threats of wholesale changes from Ron Saunders. their manager, had the desired effect against woeful Oldham.

Club captain lan Ross said: “I doubt whether we have trained so hard for a week since pre-season training. It was tough. but It was worth It.

“The manager warned that there could be changes and when Bobby McDonald and Frank Plmblett played for the first team last Tuesday in a practice match, we knew he was in earnest.”

McDonald, aged 19, and Pimblett, a 17-year-old from Liverpool making his first team debut gave Villa some heart and character in midfield.

Yet it was Ray Graydon and Brian Little who vied with each other for the man of the match award.

Pimblett inspired Villa’s first goal after 34 minutes with a measured centre to Chico Hamilton from which Little scored. Chris Nicholl headed the second after 56 minutes from Graydon’s corner, and Graydon completed the scoring In the 83rd minute after a 30 yard run by Little.