A young Boro team was sent to the Midlands to face a more experienced line up.
The outcome was that top of the table Villa ran out winners of the game played at Walsall's ground. The poor first half ended 0-0 but a few minutes after the break Peter Crouch put Villa ahead. With just over 10 minutes left he then scored again.
Boro struck back through Gary Smith four minutes from time and could have scored again, but it was a case of to little to late.
Team
Turnbull, McMahon, Bates, Gulliver, Murphy, Liddle (Peacock 63), Morrison, Dove, Taylor, Smith, Graham