Game #3505
Aston Villa

Wednesday, 4 October 1978
3rd Round
Last 5: 🟩 🟨 🟥 🟥 🟨
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 🏴 |
RB Gary Williams | 🏴 |
CB Allan Evans | 🏴 |
CB Ken McNaught | 🏴 | 🔥 |
M John Gregory | 🏴 | 🟨 |
M Tommy Craig | 🏴 |
M Gary Shelton | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M Dennis Mortimer | 🏴 |
W Frank Carrodus | 🏴 |
F Brian Little | 🏴 | ⚽ |
F John Deehan | 🏴 | 🟨 |
Ron Saunders | 🏴 | 1974-1982

Substitutes
🔁 | M Leighton Phillips | 🏴 | for M Gary Shelton | 🏴 | 82' |
Unused Substitutes
None
Yellow Cards (Warnings, Cautions, Bookings)
🟨 John Gregory, Dissent (2)
🟨 John Deehan, Innocuous tackle (4)
Red Cards (Ordered from Field of Play, Dismissals, Sendings Off)
None
Trophy Record
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1976-77
Matchday Squad
Goalkeepers
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 🏴 |
Defenders
CB Allan Evans | 🏴 |
CB Ken McNaught | 🏴 |
Full Backs
RB Gary Williams | 🏴 |
Midfielders
M John Gregory | 🏴 |
M Tommy Craig | 🏴 |
M Gary Shelton | 🏴 |
M Dennis Mortimer | 🏴 |
M Leighton Phillips | 🏴 |
Wingers
W Frank Carrodus | 🏴 |
Forwards
F Brian Little | 🏴 |
F John Deehan | 🏴 |
Unavailable
Injury | 5 |
M Alex Cropley | 🏴 |
FB Gordon Smith | 🏴 |
RB John Gidman | 🏴 |
CF Andy Gray | 🏴 |
M Gordon Cowans | 🏴 |
Team News
Frank Carrodus replaces Gordon Cowans.
Team Stats
Starting XI Average Age
| 24.45 |
Oldest Player |
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 🏴 | 30.67 |
Youngest Player |
RB Gary Williams | 🏴 | 17.81 |
Debut Appearances
None
Final Appearances
None

Drew
1-1
🟨 4 Oct 1978, Villa 1-1 Palace, Villa Park
Scorer(s) | Brian Little | 41' |
Assist(s) | Ken McNaught | 41' |
Match Timeline
⚽ | 41’ Goal, 1-0, Brian Little, Assist by Ken McNaught
🕒 | HT Aston Villa 1-0 Crystal Palace
❌ | 60’ Missed penalty, Tommy Craig
🥅 | 74’ Goal, 1-1, (Crystal Palace, pen), Nick Chatterton
🔁 | 82’ Sub off, Gary Shelton, Sub on, Leighton Phillips
🕒 | FT Aston Villa 1-1 Crystal Palace
🟨 | Booking, John Gregory, Dissent
🟨 | Booking, John Deehan, Innocuous tackle
Season | 1978-79 |
Matchday | #10 |
Manager Game | #223 |
Wednesday, 4 October 1978

Match Record
Game Record
Manager: Ron Saunders | 🏴 | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Tony Morrissey | 🏴 | Cheshire, 1971-1978
HT Score: 🟩 1-0
FT Result: 🟨 Drew
FT Score: 🟨 1-1
Last 5: 🟩 🟨 🟥 🟥 🟨
Officials
Referee: Tony Morrissey | 🏴 | Cheshire, 1971-1978
Linesmen: D. E. Wise (Malvern); J. Ball (Leicester)
Match Stats
Not recorded
Ron Saunders | 🏴 | 1974-1982
🕒 223 | 🟩 | 104 🟨 | 57 🟥 62 | 1.65
Villa Career Form:
Top 6
League Cup
Crystal Palace

Villa Park
Attendance: 30,690
GK John Burridge (ex) | 🏴 |
RB Paul Hinshelwood | 🏴 |
CB Jim Cannon | 🏴 |
D Billy Gilbert | 🏴 |
LB Kenny Sansom | 🏴 |
M Nicky Chatterton | 🏴 | ⚽ |
M Peter Nicholas | 🏴 | 🟨 |
M Jerry Murphy | 🇮🇪 |
M Vince Hilaire | 🏴 |
F Dave Swindlehurst | 🏴 |
CF Mike Elwiss | 🏴 |
Terry Venables | 🏴 |

Substitutes
No Substitutions Made
Unused Substitutes
CB Terry Fenwick | 🏴 |
Yellow Cards (Warnings, Cautions, Bookings)
🟨 Peter Nicholas
Red Cards (Ordered from Field of Play, Dismissals, Sendings Off)
None
Opposition Trophy Record
League Champions: ❌
FA Cup Winners: ❌
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: ❌
Opposition Matchday Squad
Goalkeepers
GK John Burridge (ex) | 🏴 |
Defenders
CB Jim Cannon | 🏴 |
D Billy Gilbert | 🏴 |
CB Terry Fenwick | 🏴 |
Full Backs
RB Paul Hinshelwood | 🏴 |
LB Kenny Sansom | 🏴 |
Midfielders
M Nicky Chatterton | 🏴 |
M Peter Nicholas | 🏴 |
M Jerry Murphy | 🇮🇪 |
M Vince Hilaire | 🏴 |
Forwards
F Dave Swindlehurst | 🏴 |
CF Mike Elwiss | 🏴 |
Opposition Unavailable
Not Recorded
Starting XI
Match Media
On This Day
Injury ravaged Villa can only 🟨 draw with second division high flyers Palace in the League Cup third round ahead of a Selhurst Park replay.
Villa looked to be coasting to a comfortable win against second tier Palace when former ‘keeper John Burridge 🏴 who left the club seven months ago saved Tommy Craig’s 🏴 spot kick before the referee awarded a disputed hand ball penalty for Palace to equalise the score.
The referee went on to clamp down on dissent but continually overlooked the brutal challenges on and off the ball that Palace were inflicting on the home players.
Ron Saunders 🏴 didn’t need any more ammunition for his post match outburst.
Forward Brian Little 🏴 scores his ⚽ 75th goal in a Villa shirt on his 🕒 248th appearance (241 Starts) to make it 🟩 W114 🟨 D65 🟥 L69, ⚽ 75 Goals and 🔥 52 Assists at a rate of one goal every 3.31 games.
What they Said
“If that is what football is about them I don’t like football any more.
“I keep reading about what good football this side plays [Palace] and then that kind of thing happens.
“They tried to kick us off the park.
“I must be preaching the wrong thing here.
“Shelton was done four times before they finally got him.
“The way injuries are going for us at the moment we are going to have to close up shop and play our games off in the summer.
“It was not what was happening on the ball that bothered me - you expect that in football - it was that was going on off it.”
Ron Saunders.