Aston Villa 3 Crystal Palace 1:THE PROSPECT of reaching two Wembley finals in the same season remains alive for Aston Villa, but their passage into the last eight of the FA Cup was nothing like as comfortable as Martin O'Neill would have wished.
Darren Ambrose’s second-half spot-kick threatened to take this fifth-round replay into extra-time before Matt Lawrence fouled John Carew twice in the last 10 minutes and invited the Norwegian to convert two penalties.
Carew’s goals spared Villa another 30 minutes of football four days before the League Cup final and what amounts to the club’s biggest game for a decade.
No one will have been more relieved that Stephen Warnock, whose reckless lunge on Alan Lee eight minutes earlier had allowed Ambrose to cancel out Gabriel Agbonlahor’s 14th goal of the season and give Palace hope of an unlikely upset. Instead, Lawrence was left to lament the moments of madness that Carew ruthlessly punished.
O’Neill had admitted on the eve of this tie that he was pondering how strong a team he should name with the Manchester United game on the horizon and he clearly came to the conclusion that this was not a match to be taking chances. Four players were rested from the side that is likely to start on Sunday, but the key figures, namely Richard Dunne, James Milner, Ashley Young and Agbonlahor, all featured from the outset.
The natural expectation was that a routine home victory would follow but it was 42 minutes before the breakthrough arrived after Villa spent much of the first half carving open Palace without adding a finishing touch.
Julian Speroni had played his part in frustrating Villa, with the Palace goalkeeper producing fine saves to deny Agbonlahor and Carew, although on other occasions Villa had only themselves to blame.
When the goal did finally come it could not have been more simple as Agbonlahor eluded Shaun Derry in a crowded area to head home Ashley Young’s corner.
Things might get worse before they get better for Palace, with Neil Warnock expected to take over at Queens Park Rangers, but the manager’s name was chanted before and during this match
.When opportunities did come about Villa were unable to take advantage.
Palace continued to probe and their persistence yielded an equaliser in the 72nd minute when Warnock caught Lee from behind.
Ambrose beat Guzan from the penalty spot, but Palace’s jubilation proved ephemeral when Lawrence tugged at Carew’s shirt and then clattered into the striker.
Guardian Service
ASTON VILLA:Guzan, Luke Young, Cuellar, Dunne, Warnock, Ashley Young, Milner, Delph (Sidwell 76), Downing, Carew, Agbonlahor. Subs not used: Friedel, Delfouneso, Davies, Heskey, Beye, Collins.
CRYSTAL PALACE: Speroni, Clyne, Davis, Lawrence, Butterfield, Carle (Comley 83), Derry, Ertl, Danns (Djilali 90), Lee (Andrew 90), Ambrose. Subs not used: Manns, Hill, Scannell, N'Diaye. Booked: Lawrence, Clyne.
Referee: Martin Atkinson(W Yorkshire).
