Lincoln 3 Villa 1
If any of Villa's players were in need of a wake-up call ahead of Saturday's Intertoto Cup clash with Odense BK then this was it.
If any of Villa's players were in need of a wake-up call ahead of Saturday's Intertoto Cup clash with Odense BK then this was it.
Ahead within four minutes courtesy of John Carew's low drive and creating chances at will, last night's friendly at Sincil Bank had all the hallmarks of a routine victory at the halfway point.
Three Lincoln goals in the space of 21 second-half minutes soon changed that, as the League Two side made Villa pay for some sloppy defending and inflicted their second defeat in four days.
The result did not overly concern manager Martin O'Neill, nor should it. After all, its principal purpose was to build up fitness levels for the Denmark trip.
In fact, the Northern Irishman insisted the result might be exactly what his players needed to "psyche" them up for Saturday.
He said: "I felt comfortable in many aspects. I was really quite pleased about the second half because you can coast through games.
"Had we scored a second goal then we might have ended up coasting it.
"I think the second half was terrific in terms of us being under pressure, even the fact that we conceded some poor goals – everything that really can bring it home to you. It brings it home how tight games can be."
The manner in which the goals were conceded is sure to be a cause for concern so close to a game with banana skin potential.
Twice they succumbed to set-pieces as first Janos Kovacs and then Lenell John-Lewis powered home headers from the edge of the six-yard box, before Ben Wright punished a mistake from Steve Sidwell to slot home a third.
Yet perhaps it was no great surprise given Zat Knight was the only one of Villa's defence playing their regular position.
Freddie Bouma returned, albeit alongside Knight at the heart of an unfamiliar looking back four.
Moustapha Salifou played at left-back and Nigel Reo-Coker, skipper for the evening, replaced the injured Craig Gardner at right-back.
It provided clear proof of the urgent need for new recruits and when the matter was put to him O'Neill was unequivocal in his response.
He said: "Yes I think it highlights that fact. For the last year we have had the smallest squad in the Premier League.
"That is a situation I have said umpteen times I did not want to repeat this year."
Villa: Taylor (Parish 84) , Reo-Coker, Bouma, (Lihaj HT), Knight, Salifou, Routledge (Delfouneso 62), Petrov (Osbourne 62), Sidwell (Stieber 77), Young, (Maloney HT) Agbonlahor (Albrighton 77) , Carew (Harewood HT). Referee: K Friend
Attendance: 5,076 (1,064 Villa fans)
