Gary Shaw, Aston Villa's 18-year-old second-half hat-trick hero of the 3-1 victory at Bristol City on Saturday admitted after the game that he knew he stood to be substituted after the interval.

Clutching the match-ball, which had been autographed by both teams he said: "At half-time our manager had a go at some of us including myself.

"He told me that he wanted me to be more aggressive so I knew I had to do something about it."

The former England youth International added: "I've scored hat-tricks before in less important matches, but this was my first in the First Division, and I hope there will be more to follow."

Struggling City played most of the football worth watching, but Villa, or rather Shaw, scored the goals that mattered.

It was as simple as that sheer floodlit robbery and Villa manager, Ron Saunders, went at least halfway to admitting it when he said. "It was a bitty game and we didn't play well. We seldom put more than four or five passes together.

"But you can't turn it on all the time and we did work hard and, always looked as though we would win."

His opposite number, Alan Dicks, who goes into 1980 facing a stiff relegation fight, claimed that the result was governed by Villa's first goal seven minutes after a goalless first half when Shaw heaved himself at a Cowans corner kick and nudged the ball over the line.

Afterwards, Shaw was still not certain whether the ball had hit his head or his shoulder, but Dicks made the point that his goalkeeper, John Shaw had been impeded.

Dicks said "John couldn't move when he tried to catch the ball and that goal was a bitter upset for us. It marred everything we had done, all the good football we had played up to that point."

But Dicks could not quarrel with Villa's second goal, which followed only two minutes later when Gary Shaw, on a break with Donovan and Little, took possession quite 35 yards out, spotted his namesake coming off his line and hit a marvellous swerving shot which bent into the far top corner of the net.

Almost immediately, a brave Bristol rally was foiled by goalkeeper Rimmer, who pulled off a brilliant reflex save from a snap header by Rodgers and then bravely charged down a point-blank shot by Mabbutt.

Inches over

Young Shaw almost had his hat-trick in the 74th minute when his dipping header from a Gibson free kick was only inches over the bar, but Bristol pulled back a goal when McNaught handled a bobbing ball and Gow scored from the spot in the 75th minute.

Ormsby prevented an equaliser by blocking Mabbutt's shot a minute later, but four minutes from the end Gary Shaw came up with another good-looking goal when he chased a long ball out of defence.

With nobody coming up in time to support him, he took on and beat full - back Sweeney to score with a low cross-shot and Bristol had nothing left.