Aston Villa booked their place in the Carabao Cup second round with a hard-fought 2-1 win against League Two side Colchester at a rain-sodden Weston Homes Community Stadium.
Villa took a seventh-minute lead when Scott Hogan slotted into an empty net, after Colchester keeper Sam Walker had challenged Andre Green in the area and the ball had run loose.
But less than a minute later the hosts won a penalty when Sammie Szmodics was brought down by Chris Samba in the area, only for Villa keeper Jed Steer to deny Mikael Mandron from the spot.
Colchester skipper Tom Lapslie went close with a fierce effort before Villa doubled their lead in the 19th minute after U's defender Frankie Kent diverted Albert Adomah's cross into his own net, amid appeals for offside.
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