3-2

The reports were good and there was even a profile on television but John Deehan was still worried. He thought he was playing well but his concern was that one goal in six games was not good enough for a striker. So his relief was evident when he scored two on Saturday even though, as he admitted later, he may be back in the reserves in a couple of weeks.

He realises that soon Brian Little and Keith Leonard will have recovered from their cartilage operations and that his first team chances may be limited. But he is prepared for it and as long as he remains in the first team squad and is occasionally substitute he will be happy.

When Little and Leonard, last season’s main strikers, do recover, and they should be fit in the New Year, manager, Ron Saunders, will have the sort of problem he would prefer: four proven strikers, the oldest of which is Leonard at 24, with two places to fill. And although Deehan, at 18 the youngest, is prepared for demotion, if he continues to play as at present, Saunders will be unable to leave him out. It was the first time I had seen him and he confirmed all the reports.

He took his goals without fuss and the rest of his game showed the same simple economy. At times he was too good to be true and a more accurate assessment of his ability will have to wait until he settles Into the First Division.

At the moment, it is all new to him and he sometimes attempted things that more experienced players might not have tried. But they often came off and such youthful enthusiasm, in concert with Andy Gray’s, was an antidote to the bitterly cold afternoon.

While all 22 players deserve reward for playing so well on such a difficult pitch - it was hard and slippery - and Deehan and Gray caught the eye, there were two more experienced players whose contributions to Villa’s game were just as valuable.

Ray Graydon scored the equalising goal, after Martin Peters had put Norwich ahead after 75 seconds, while Frank Carrodus had a compelling match.

Carrodus often had “anonymous” games in which his work goes unrecognised but on Saturday he was the difference between victory and defeat. His stamina and running in midfield seemed to give Villa an extra man in a game which had to remain open because of the conditions.

Mistakes were frequent, players either slipping or failing to control the ball. but Carrodus seemed to be wherever you looked, always supporting someone, often making a telling pass, as with Deehan’s first goal that put Villa ahead for the first time and the contrast in styles was fascinating.

Norwich prepared to build their attacks with neat short passes. Villa attacked in huge splashes of colour using the width of the pitch.

Their third goal after Ted MacDougall had equalised was typical. Gray found Graydon with a 40-yard pass, raced forward to control the cross and push it sideways to Deehan who killed it before clipping it wide of Kevin Keelan.