Peterborough 0 Villa 3 - analysis

With Villa's international stars still to report back for pre-season and sole signing Stewart Downing injured, young stars Marc Albrighton, Andreas Weimann and Barry Bannan all gave impressive displays on Saturday, after being handed a chance to stake their claims from the start.

The fledgling trio were all involved in Villa's opener, converted by Weimann, with second-half goals from two more established names in Curtis Davies and Steve Sidwell ensuring Martin O'Neill's men got their pre-season off to a satisfying start.

But it was a far from perfect performance from Villa, but the fact their defence looked vulnerable against a Posh attack which did not include first-choice strikers Aaron McLean and Craig Mackail-Smith will not have gone unnoticed by O'Neill, who hopes to bring in a replacement for Martin Laursen this week.

Sidwell went close with a vicious shot with the game's first real chance, but it was Championship new boys Posh who posed the bigger threat early on.

In the 10th minute, Tommy Rowe unleashed a thunderbolt against the crossbar with goalkeeper Brad Friedel beaten, and it took a sensational double save from the evergreen American soon afterwards to deny Rene Howe and then Rowe.

But Villa took the lead against the run of play in the 26th minute when Weimann rounded off a fine move involving Albrighton and Bannan by glancing home a header.

Villa began to find their stride and Posh keeper James McKeown was a relieved man after he was caught out by Bannan's looping cross, tipping the ball onto his own crossbar before the ball bounced back into his arms.

But by the 52nd minute Villa has doubled their advantage courtesy, of a sublime solo goal from Davies.

The defender strolled through the heart of Posh's defence, played a one-two with Marlon Harewood, and showed finishing instincts more akin to a forward.

Ironically, Harewood's finishing resembled that of a centre-back when he somehow failed to convert Albrighton's inviting cross and could only steer it wide with the goal at his mercy.

But it became three in the 71st minute, when substitute Isaiah Osbourne threaded through Sidwell with his first touch and the man hoping to replace Gareth Barry in Villa's engine room fired low into the left corner.