Aston Villa’s injury situation has not quite reached crisis proportions yet, but after this comprehensive defeat they might well appeal for more player protection from referees.

Manager Ron Saunders did not exactly complain afterwards, although he was clearly privately upset at the rough house treatment dished out to Frank Carrodus and Leighton Phillips.

Carrodus was cruelly chopped down by Ipswich centre half Alan Hunter in the first ten minutes and he was then kicked on the ankle by Roger Osborne. Guildford referee Malcolm Sinclair neglected to admonish any players for the early aggression and he failed to see the incident which eventually led to Phillips being substituted in the 34th minute with a hamstring injury after a clash with Eric Gates.

The injuries to Carrodus and Phillips fundamentally changed the pattern of the game and Villa seldom posed any real threats as they endeavoured to re-group their slender resources.

Said Saunders: “Carrodus deserves a medal for staying on the field for the full 90 minutes. When he took his boot off at half time, his ankle swelled up like a balloon.

“I told him he could come off if he wanted, even though that would have reduced us to ten men as we had already brought on substitute Bobby McDonald. But Carrodus said he would stick it out.”

With first-learners Keith Leonard and Brian Little still recovering from cartilage operations, the recent injuries apart from being extremely worrying, expose the limits of Villa’s senior squad.

Their recent disappointing form seems to have stemmed from the fact that they have stopped running like they did last season when they carried off the League Cup and won promotion from the Second Division.

It would be far too sinister to suggest that all their First Division opponents have decided to counter Villa’s non-stop running tactics with aggression. But this seems to be the case with some teams and the recent injuries tend to confirm it.

The three goals they did concede - it might have been five or six - all came from elementary mistakes.

The restricted Carrodus moved too slowly just before the interval to pick up John Peddelty as he drove home Clive Woods’ mis-hit corner kick.

John Robson then missed his tackle in the 56th minute and Bryan Hamilton’s cross went straight to Trevor Whymark who outjumped lan Ross to send a powerful header well wide of goalkeeper John Burridge.

The third goal came from a smart free kick ruse after 63 minutes between Mick Mills and Woods before Hamilton cheekily rounded off the move from the other side of Villa’s casual defensive wall.

Consolation for Villa was the impressive display of debut boy 18 year-old John Deehan, who despite an early attack of nerves, proved that he has what It takes to make the grade. His partnership with £110.000 striker Andy Gray promises well for the future.