Some three months after his detractors had gleefully pronounced his managerial career at Aston Villa to be over, John Gregory was yesterday sporting the satisfied smile of a vindicated man.
Gregory will take nothing for granted but with only Bolton Wanderers of the First Division blocking Villa's route to a first FA Cup final appearance since they won the trophy 43 years ago, the omens are good. It was close, and Everton's wounds were largely self-inflicted, but Villa deserved to finish on top for they came seeking not a replay but a win and such ambition is worthy of generous reward.
"This is a tremendous result - if hardly a tremendous performance," said Gregory. "The result will kick in over the next 24 hours and only then will we realise what we have achieved. I'm happy with the semi-final draw because if Bobby Robson and Gianluca Vialli had had a choice they, too, would have picked Bolton."
Perplexingly, in view of Villa's somewhat less that statuesque strike force of Benito Carbone and Julian Joachim, the Everton manager Walter Smith opted to place his faith in a triple centreback system which in the past has actually served to dilute his side's potential for expansive football. Faced by this unyielding wall of heaving flesh, Villa kept the ball on the deck. If the game was always too frantic to paint itself as anything other than fractious, it managed to hold its appeal simply because the devilish pace ensured that the centre of action was constantly on the move.
There was a general paucity of chances but then, from nowhere, a goal - followed swiftly by another.
Villa struck first. Paul Merson's first contribution proved important as he whipped over a cross from the left after his corner had been played back to him by Carbone.
Ugo Ehiogu, standing in splendid isolation at the far post, turned the ball back across goal for Steve Stone to apply the final touch with a diving header, one which bounced and reared up awkwardly in front of Thomas Myhre and found the net off the goalkeeper's body.
Everton had lost their way and yet, perversely, at the precise moment Villa shaped as if to claim a second goal, they dragged themselves back into the match.
Gareth Barry's failure to clear the ball was crucial, permitting Joe-Max Moore to step in and then step forwards. The American's chip-shot from an unsympathetic angle was delicate enough, just, to find its way up and over Peter Enckelman in the Villa goal.
Stone did marvellously well to hook the ball away but it was too late; it had crossed the line, a tight decision which Villa took without recourse to histrionics.
The first half was living on borrowed time when Villa struck the decisive blow. Having been smartly released by Joachim, Merson ran purposefully forwards before turning right and cutting across the perimeter of the penalty area. His deliberately placed shot was saved but, crucially, not held by Myhre and Carbone could have done a jig of joy before nudging home had he so wished.
Thereafter the game sank rather tamely to its knees and declined all invitations to return to its feet. As the skies blackened the better of the openings fell to Villa, although Richard Gough did almost salvage Everton's season in the 85th minute with a sweetly driven shot which hit the foot of a post.
It was over, but there was still time for Carbone to embroider a deserved reputation for pettiness when he was sent off for a second caution in the last minute, foolishly encroaching at a free-kick after earlier being booked for dissent.
"I think the referee failed to engage his brain - he just reached for a yellow card when he really should have waited a few seconds," said Gregory.
Everton: Myhre, Pembridge (Cadamarteri 75), Unsworth, Gough, Weir, Xavier (Jeffers 64), Barmby, Collins, Hutchison, Moore, Campbell. Subs Not Used: Ball, Dunne, Simonsen. Booked: Xavier, Unsworth. Goals: Moore 20.
Aston Villa: Enckelman, Delaney, Ehiogu, Barry, Southgate, Wright, Merson (Taylor 46), Boateng, Stone, Carbone, Joachim. Subs Not Used: Watson, Cutler, Hendrie, Walker. Sent Off: Carbone (89). Booked: Boateng, Carbone, Stone. Goals: Stone 16, Carbone 45.
Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).
