Ian Taylor has claimed that Leif Davis ‘tried to con the ref’ during Aston Villa’s 1-0 win over Leeds United in a pre-season friendly in Australia on Sunday morning.
In the second half, Davis was punished for a handball in the penalty area, which was duly dispatched by Danny Ings – but Taylor shared that Davis was trying to pretend the ball hit him in the face, when it actually hit his hand, as he told Villa TV.
It was a pretty cagey affair in Brisbane, with John McGinn’s tackle resulting in teenager, Archie Gray, having to go off on a stretcher – Jesse Marsch didn’t look too pleased on the touchline.
Both teams missed guilt-edge opportunities, with Illan Meslier saving Philippe Coutinho’s first-half spot-kick, but he was unable to prevent Ings from scoring in the second half.
Nonetheless, this is what Taylor had to say about Davis’ handball and how he initially went to ground in his own box trying to pretend the ball hit him flush in the face.
“It’s one of those old tricks,” laughed Taylor. “He has tried to con the ref that it has hit you in the face when it has clearly hit his hand. His arms are up. No Oscar for him, I am afraid.”
FEISTY FRIENDLY DOWN UNDER
It was a pre-season match on paper, but it was a pretty feisty affair down under between Villa and Leeds, who were taking each other on like this was a Premier League game.
There were a lot of tough tackles during the game and aggressive play, with McGinn’s tackle on Gray drawing criticism given the nature of the match.
There wasn’t a sending-off, but in truth, it’s probably a surprise given some of the challenges that the players were committing to.
Nonetheless, all in all, it was a positive game for both sides, who got some much-needed minutes in their tank, as they continue their tour in Australia and preparations for the new season.
For Marsch’s side, it’s another game against a Premier League side, this time Crystal Palace, whilst Steven Gerrard will be preparing his team for an encounter against local team, Brisbane Roar.
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