Graham Turner enjoyed a reasonable return to Villa Park, where he was dismissed as manger three years ago. His WOLVES side went down 2-1 to ASTON VILLA. David Platt put Villa ahead in 16 minutes, before Andy Mutch headed his fourth goal in three games for Wolves. Villa skipper Stuart Gray hit the winner.

Gray gave Aston Villa the slenderest of edges in their Littlewoods Cup derby clash with Wolves here last night.

Gray’s strike coupled with a first half tap-in from David Platt was enough to edge out the Second Division side in a first leg watched by 27,400 West Midlanders.

But Wolves’ ace Andy Mutch’s fifth goal of the season could yet prove decisive when the rivals resume battle at Molineux.

Platt struck the first blow for Villa in the 15th minute.

His goal owed much to the strong running tenacity of Price who sprinted into the box from the right flank. Although the first shot was blocked, Platt was perfectly placed to steer home his third goal of the season.

Both sides might have scored earlier as they were roared on by a fiercely partisan crowd.

Dennison’s probing ball exposed the Villa defence but Gooding screwed his shot wide.

At the other end Wolves’ keeper Kendall on his 31st birthday produced a reflex finger-tip save to deny Olney.

The main weapon in the Wolves’ armoury was the long ball over the top of Villa’s centre-halves and from a Clarke punt Bull escaped Mountfield only to lob harmlessly wide.

Olney cursed his luck in the 35th minute when Bennett cleared a certain goal.

And moments later Bull still not looking fully fit left his studs embedded in Spink’s midriff after over running the ball.

Ninety seconds into the second-half Mutch equalised for Wolves.

There appeared no danger from Venus’s swirling far-post cross but Mutch escaped his marker to plant a firm header past Spink.

Villa came storming back and Mountfield’s header from McGrath’s near-post flick was only fractionally over.

Heath and Olney both threatened the the Wolves’ goal and Bull wasn’t far off the mark.

Price produced a similar surging run which led to the first goal but this time the shot was angled wide.

Gray restored Villa’s lead in the 63rd minute when he planted home a header from Platt’s pin-point cross.