Norwich City Under-21s suffered just their second league defeat of the PL2 season, a 2-1 loss against Aston Villa at Bodymoor Heath.
The contest was made incredibly difficult for Alan Neilson's charges when right-back Alex Matos was shown a straight red card in the 25th minute.
Until then, there had been little between the sides.
Norwich had actually had the better of the chances with Matos himself weaving his way through before having a shot deflected away for a corner.
Not long after, Thomas Dickson-Peters struck straight at the goalkeeper Filip Marschall.
Following the Matos dismissal, only one team looked like scoring and it duly arrived when Rory Wilson poked home just past the half-hour mark.
The young Canaries managed to keep the hosts at bay until the break when Neilson introduced Marcel McIntosh to release Tony Springett further up the field.
It did appear to work initially with Norwich coming close in the opening minutes of the half but the numerical advantage and fresher legs would soon tell again.
City 'keeper Dan Barden made a couple of saves and, aligned with some resilient defending from the back four, Norwich stayed within reach.
It looked as though that effort had paid off when a pre-rehearsed 'mix-up' over free-kick-taking duties bamboozled Villa.
Sean Stewart and Joe Duffy both feigned a run-up before the former doubled back and sent a high delivery goalwards, catching Marschall out and nestling in the far corner.
However, the respite was brief. Villa marched right down the other end and Tommi O'Reilly restored their lead within a minute despite Barden's best efforts.
There was time for one more chance. A delivery into the area fell to captain Jaden Warner who fizzed a low ball across the goalmouth but it was inches ahead of the outstretched Springett.
Aston Villa: Marschall, Guilbert, Feeney, Smith, Revan, Afoka, Bogarde, Raikhy, Frith, O'Reilly, Wilson.
Norwich City: Barden, Matos, Warner (C), Hills, Shipley, Springett, Watt (McIntosh h-t), Brooke (Stewart 60), Duffy, Omotoye (Coker 69)