ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP/ Bolton 0 Aston Villa 2: Bolton Wanderers qualified for their second League Cup final in a decade last night by completing a task that most observers viewed as a formality after they had established a three-goal advantage in the first leg.
As if the absence of Juan Pablo Angel was not enough of a handicap in attempting to retrieve the deficit, Aston Villa's remote chances of success were reduced further with the dismissal of Gavin McCann late in ther first half.
Yet, until then, Villa - fuelled by Thomas Hitzlsperger's early goal - threatened to make the final leg of Bolton's journey to the Millennium Stadium fraught with tension.
Eventually, though, the result put the tin lid on a depressing day for Villa that had begun with the club announcing a £16.5 million loss in the six months to November, 2003.
On the field, Villa's task ensured there was none of the cautionary sparring that characterises most semi-finals.
After three minutes, Lee Hendrie crossed from the right to the far post from where Gareth Barry headed the ball into the path of Darius Vassell.
The England striker, six yards from goal, shot straight at Jussi Jaaskelainen, but came within inches of atoning moments later with a cross-shot past the Bolton keeper's right-hand post.
That Villa, so vulnerable to free-kicks in recent games, not least in the first leg which led to their conceding two goals, should light the game's blue touchpaper from a setpiece was not without irony.
It followed a foul on Peter Crouch by Ivan Campo on the edge of the penalty area and Hitzlsperger took full advantage. The German midfielder, renowned for the power of his left-foot shots, opted for subtlety instead of brute force and curled the ball inside Jaaskelainen's left-hand post.
Villa Park, often more mausoleum than cauldron of drama in another season of frustrated dreams, came alive. Barry should have sent the excitement level, as well as Sam Allardyce's blood pressure, higher still when finding himself with only Jaaskelainen to beat.
Later, the Aston Villa midfielder proved wayward with a volley before Crouch headed over another Hendrie cross.
Worse was to befall Villa six minutes before the interval with the dismissal of McCann. The midfielder collided with Jaaskelainen in pursuit of a through-ball and then lightly slapped Emerson Thome in the face during the ensuing handbags.
David O'Leary introduced Peter Whittingham and the youngster at once volleyed only just wide.Indeed, Villa's approach suggested they did not view the second period as an exercise in futility.
Bolton, by contrast, were content to play the numbers game, but Youri Djorkaeff and Kevin Davies both went close for them before Crouch failed to capitalise when one-on-one with Jaaskelainen.
Then, with three minutes left, J Lloyd Samuel showed what might have been with a goal that confirmed Villa's victory on the night. - Guardian Service
ASTON VILLA: Sorensen, Delaney, Mellberg, Dublin, Samuel, Hendrie (Whittingham 47), McCann, Hitzlsperger, Barry, Crouch, Vassell. Subs Not Used: Postma, Allback, Ridgewell, Johnsen. Sent Off: McCann (40). Booked: Samuel, Vassell, McCann. Goals: Hitzlsperger 10, Samuel 88.
BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, N'Gotty, Thome, Charlton (Barness 68), Giannakopoulos, Frandsen (Javi Moreno 88), Campo, Ba, Davies, Djorkaeff (Pedersen 78). Subs Not Used: Poole, Vaz Te. Booked: Thome, Hunt, Davies.
Referee: S Bennett (Kent).
