Aston Villa bring a two-goal lead back to Villa Park for next week's second leg of the Football League Cup-tie after overcoming a slow start to last night's game at Colchester.

They eventually won convincingly enough but they had a few scares along the way until skipper Dennis Mortimer back in action after suffering a groin strain on the opening day of the season, pulled his team together and ended Colchester's hopes of forcing a surprise.

Replacement

But the real Villa hero was 18-year old England youth international Gary Shaw, who was in the team only as a replacement for the injured Little. Shaw scored in each half and may have eased the problems facing manager Ron Saunders as Villa's search for the scoring touch that has eluded them during the absence of Gray.

Shaw scored in the 35th and 73rd minutes and was denied a hat-trick five minutes from time when Leslie cleared his shot off the line with goalkeeper Walker well beaten.

Colchester created the better chances in the first half-hour but all too often their impressive approach work was ruined by a bad final pass.
​
But as the game progressed Villa found more confidence although a number of sweet moves came to grief on the edge of the Colchester penalty area before they took the lead.

A fine surge and cross by Gibson looked to have too much weight but as the ball flew across the goalmouth Morley raced in to fling It back into the middle where Shaw bent low to send in a header just inside a post.

Colchester's commitment to attack left them stretched at the back and in the 73rd minute Villa broke out of defence with stunning effect to kill off the Third Division side.

A brilliant run by Mortimer had Colchester in all sorts of trouble, the ball finding its way to Morley wide on the Villa right. When the centre came across Shaw got up well to leave Walker stranded with a firm header.