An inexperienced Aston Villa outfit - even at under 21 level - fought hard and performed incredibly well as a collective to stun League One Bolton Wanderers and claim two points after a penalty shoot-out in their second match of the EFL Trophy.

Trai-Varn Mulley had headed this young Villa outfit in front after half an hour and the young Lions defended admirably as a unit throughout, holding a team packed with first team personnel at bay, before the Trotters eventually broke through thanks to Victor Adeboyejo with ten minutes to go. The EFL Trophy format is such, however, that a side can claim an additional point via a shoot-out if the scores are level after 90 minutes.

Villa were immaculate in theirs, scoring all four in a 4-1 win. Oliwier Zych, inspired all evening, saved two penalties before Brad Burrowes planted the winner in front of the 50-80 away supporters congregated behind the goal. Here are the talking points.

Liverpool flashback

This was like watching that FA Cup game, behind closed doors, a few years back when Jurgen Klopp's first-team rolled into town to be greeted by Mark Delaney and a horde of young Villans who had been granted a once-in-a-career opportunity to tackle Mohamed Salah and co because of a Covid outbreak which impacted the entire first-team.

That night, Louie Barry and his cohorts were a credit to the club, taking a shock lead before eventually being outclassed - no disgrace in that. Tonight, a number of youngsters were being granted opportunities akin to that side - while it mightn't be the bright lights of Liverpool stars, Bolton offered a very appropriate challenge to this Villa unit, which would test their determination, desire and composure.

The stats might've flattered the lead they took down the tunnel at the break, but it wasn't a fluke - Mulley's goal, Burrowes' cross, Zych's engineering of the move from his own goal...Villa had, as a collective, defended admirably and grasped their moment when it came. To then not allow heads to drop upon the equaliser was applaudable. To seal the point in the shoot-out which followed - what a series of spot-kicks, by the way - was a fitting finale.

What's under the bonnet

As mentioned, this was a very much changed Villa team, even to the side which lined up alongside Messrs Buendia, Barkley and Ramsey at Fleetwood in that entertaining 3-2 victory at Highbury last month. That day, Amundsen-Day was an unused substitute. The only other participant was keeper Zych. Rodrigo Fortes, Alfie Lynskey, Max Jenner, Burrowes and Leon Routh are 16. Borland, Mulley, Brannigan and Keilan Quinn are 17.

That youthful appearance to the side, which lacked obvious experience, came under the pump immediately and Zych had to do his bit and more from the get go and then throughout the course of the night, but Villa played good football when presented with an environment in which to do so.

Nights like these emphasise the strength of the Villa academy, and clearly the attraction too, for many of these youngsters began their fledgling careers elsewhere before making their way to Bodymoor Heath; to head north against a Bolton side widely tipped to be in the League One promotion mix, having almost changed the entire squad, highlights the depth in talent of the academy.

Patterns emerge

What was perhaps as encouraging as anything else on the night was how Villa approached the game. Taking into account the clear superiority in experience, physicality and chemistry of the hosts, these Villa youngsters had to settle after a rude awakening early doors. Instantly under the pump, they might've been forgiven for thinking even at that stage that they were set for a long night.

Once they got the ball down, the football was good and moves were slowly knitted together. Familiar patterns are emerging in the way the academy sides are looking to play, akin to the first-team. It means that if a Lamare Bogarde, for example, finds himself in a first-team environment all of a sudden, even if the step up takes some getting used to, the way he is being asked to play as part of a team isn't a bombshell. They're being readied at this level.

Even if not getting it right all the time - and there were teething problems, with stray passes and the occasional incorrect decision made - there's a clear process of development taking place. If you're going to make mistakes, you may as well make them at this level, and not a single player was phased by the challenge of rolling out 'Emeryball' in the face of hardened first team players.

A memorable evening

Matches in the *checks notes* Bristol Street Motors Trophy can be soulless, joyless experiences. It's a competition which has divided many, with scores of supporters of clubs around country choosing to overlook the fixtures. Not even an international break tempted more than 1,700 Bolton fans to their home ground tonight, while around 80 Villa made the trip north. For context, just shy of 20,000 were here for Shrewsbury on Saturday.

Try telling the teenagers who have just gone toe to toe with a very decent first-team, former winners of this competition, and come out the other sides with two points in the bank, that this won't prove to be a very memorable evening in the years to come. They celebrated, as they well might have, as if they'd won the game in the feelgood scenes at the end.