AFC Telford 1 Villa 2 - Report and pictures

The National League North side had looked course to beat their more high-profile opponents, as they led through Dave Hibbert's third minute opener on Saturday.

But Ayew finally found a way past brilliant Bucks keeper James Montgomery with nine minutes remaining.

Cissokho then headed the winner two minutes from full-time to complete the comeback.

A Villa team which included summer signings Tommy Elphicka and Pierluigi Gollini dominated for long periods but were unable to find a way past Montgomery, who denied both Scott Sinclair and Rudy Gestede in superb fashion.

Telford's team featured a new-look centre-back pairing of Gianluca Havern and Dan Preston but it was a familiar face who put the hosts ahead inside the opening three minutes.

Hibbert will hope to be a regular name on the scoresheet this term yet is unlikely to strike many shots better than the one which beat Villa keeper Gollini from 25 yards, after Sinclair had been guilty of giving the ball away in midfield.

Villa were sluggish but might have levelled quickly had Gestede been able to get some power and direction into a header from ten yards out.

The striker remained in the thick of the action however and after sending another header inches closer to the target, he brought the first save of the game from Montgomery with a low drive after an excellent run by Andre Green.

Shortly afterward Gestede's flick put Ayew one-on-one with Montgomery only for the Ghana international to take a dreadful first touch. Sinclair then came within inches of levelling the scores with a left-footed volley from eight yards out which hit the post, after Gestede had cushioned Green's cross into his path.

Villa continued to do almost all of the attacking but could not get back on terms prior to the break. Ayew sent a free-kick just wide of Montgomery's post and fired over from distance, while Aly Cissokho shot straight at the keeper when well placed.

With Villa toothless in attack, Telford almost scored the equaliser for them early in the second period when Campion deflected Cissokho's wicked cross past Montgomery. His blushes were saved by Havern who, in perfect position the line, was able to clear.

The visiting players, by contrast, could simply find no way past the keeper, who pulled off a sublime save to keep out Sinclair's shot at point blank range after the wideman had raced onto a Gestede flick.

Green was the next to try his luck, only to see Montgomery push the ball wide of the post. From the resulting corner, the ball dropped invitingly for Gestede, whose powerful drive from no more than eight yards out was again repelled by the keeper.

Villa boss Roberto Di Matteo brought on Rushian Hepburn-Murphy to replace Gestede and the 17-year-old almost had an immediate impact, firing in a shot which smacked the upright after a barrelling run into the box.

It looked as though Telford might survive but, with nine minutes to go, Ayew finally found a way past Montgomery. The forward raced into the box and held off the attentions of Havern before sliding a finish under the keeper's body.

Telford looked visibly tired and were unable to hold on to the draw, Cissokho winning it for Villa when he rose to head home Ayew's cross as time ticked down.

Telford (4-4-2): Montgomery, Samuels, Preston, Havern, Campion (Reynolds 58), Williams (Fitzpatrick 58), Dawson, Fowler (Gittings 58), Rea (Monaghan 66), Hibbert (Evans HT), Wilson (Peers 66) Subs not used: Peers, Gittings, Monaghan, Reynolds, Fitzpatrick, Lilly, Bailey.

Villa (4-2-3-1): Gollini, Suliman, Elphick (Mason 86), Baker, Cissokho, Gana, Westwood, Green, Ayew, Sinclair, Gestede (Hepburn-Murphy 76) Subs not used: McKirdy, Cowans, Johannsen (gk).