ASTON Villa’s young guns scored twice in the last 13 minutes to take three points against Wanderers’ Under-21s - but it was another Midlander setting tongues wagging at the Macron Stadium.
The Whites handed a first start to trialist Aaron Birch, a 20-year-old attacking midfielder who graduated from the West Bromwich Albion academy.
Played in a central-midfield role, Birch looked comfortable in possession and kept the ball well but failed to provide that killer pass for forwards Kaiyne Woolery and Tom Eaves.
The lack of quality proved pivotal as Graham Burke’s 77th minute thunderous strike - coupled with substitute Harry McKirdy’s long-range injury time goal - condemned Bolton to their second league defeat in a row.
Iain Brunskill’s side contained a wealth of Football League experience in their ranks, with Hayden White, Oscar Threlkeld, Georg Iliev, Woolery, Eaves all named in the starting line-up.
Jack Grealish, fresh from his red card against West Brom in the FA Cup on Sunday, took just three minutes to fathom the first clear cut chance for the visitors.
After bursting down the left, the highly rated winger got to the by-line and cut the ball back for Rushian Hepburn-Murphy - but he blasted over the crossbar from 12 yards.
Three minutes later Eaves’ cross reached White at the edge of the area and his stinging drive needed a brilliant finger-tip save from Craig Hill to push it over the crossbar.
As Villa began to take control of proceedings Burke found a pocket of space 25 yards out, but his long-range effort was comfortably saved by Ross Fitzsimons down to his right.
The menacing Grealish danced past a number of Wanderers defenders before dragging a shot wide of the far-post on the 24th minute. Just 10 minutes later the 19-year-old winger whipped in a cross from the left which found Burke free at the back-post but he failed to keep his snap shot down.
Wanderers grew into the game late into the first half with Woolery’s electric pace unnerving the Villa defence.
And the Whites could have gone into the break one up had it not been for Kodi Lyons-Foster’s goal-saving block to turn Iliev’s close-range effort around the post, after Ryan Sellers’ cross from the left.
Bolton started the second period on the front foot with Eaves lifting a shot over the crossbar from Sellers’ corner, before Woolery missed a glaring opportunity on the 53rd minute.
Captain Threlkeld took a quick free-kick which released Sellers down the left, and his pin-point cross landed on the head of Woolery two-yards out but the forward only managed to directed the ball against the body of the goalkeeper when it looked easier to score.
Villa withstood the Bolton storm which saw Eaves and Threlkeld come close, before Wanderers’ centre-half Alex Finney looped the ball onto the roof of his own goal on the hour mark.
Sellars put a fright on the Wanderers defence on the 72nd minute when his shot deflected off White and crept past the post.
But it was Burke who made the visitors’ momentum count five minutes later, picking up the ball at the edge of the Wanderers’ penalty area and sending a rocket across goal and into the top corner leaving Fitzsimons with no chance.
Their lead was double on the 91st minute when Grealish picked out substitute McKirdy 25 yards out and he struck a stunning effort that clipped the underside of the crossbar and landed in the back of the net to ensure the visitors returned to the midlands with all three points.
Bolton starting XI: Fitzsimons; Holding, Taylor, Finney, White, Sellers; Threlkeld (c), Birch (81: Lester), Iliev (64: Woodland); Woolery, Eaves.
Unused subs: Campbell, Ball, Campbell-Young Aston Villa starting XI: Hill; Leggett, Toner, Lyons-Foster, Kinsella (40: Webb); Calder, Hale (78: Green), Burke, Grealish; Sellars, Hepburn-Murphy (82: McKirby).
Unused subs: Bannister, Wildin Referee: M.Sailsbury
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