Keeper Brad Guzan was the hero as he saved four penalties on the night to put Aston Villa through against Sunderland.
Villa keeper saves four penalties to put Sunderland out of Carling Cup
Keeper Brad Guzan was the hero as he saved four penalties on the night to put Aston Villa through into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup at Sunderland's expense.
Guzan saved a spot-kick from Kenwyne Jones in normal time before keeping three efforts out in the penalty shoot-out after the game had finished goalless following extra-time.
Villa's Emile Heskey went close in the second minute when his clever flick from Gabriel Agbonlahor's low cross just went wide.
At the other end, Jordan Henderson brought a fine save from Guzan with a volley just before the break.
In the second period, Craig Gordon saved well after Agbonlahor had been played in one-on-one with the keeper.
Jones could have won the game late on in normal time after Carlos Cuellar was harshly penalised for handling Andy Reid's cross, but the striker's spot-kick was weak and Guzan saved diving to his left.
After a goalless extra-time, Guzan gave Villa victory by saving spot-kicks from Reid, Henderson and Lorik Cana, with Ashley Young netting the winning kick to put Martin O'Neill's side through 3-1 on penalties.
The Wearsiders will feel hard done by but they only have themselves to blame after squandering some gilt-edged chances, none more presentable than that which fell to Kieran Richardson in the closing minutes of the extra period.
Having burst clean through, the former Manchester United midfielder should have scored but hammered his shot straight into the chest of Guzan.
Started slowly
The match started slowly before coming to its dramatic climax.
England international Heskey, who recently voiced his concern that a lack of first-team opportunities may hamper his World Cup ambitions, almost marked his first start in two months with a second-minute opener.
Agbonlahor escaped down the right and his low cross was cleverly flicked towards goal by Heskey, only for the ball to narrowly miss the far post.
After that early scare, Sunderland slowly warmed to their task with Fraizer Campbell excelling in an unfamiliar right-wing role.
The former Manchester United trainee, who gave Stephen Warnock a torrid evening with his pace and trickery, almost provided Jones with the opener after 25 minutes.
Having beaten Warnock for the umpteenth time, his curling cross appeared destined to reach Jones six yards out only for Richard Dunne to divert the ball clear with a glancing header.
Another Sunderland youngster, Henderson, was also making a significant impression.
The local lad came close with a low drive from the edge of the area before he saw what appeared a legitimate claim for a penalty turned away by referee Phil Dowd after he went down under a challenge from Warnock.
Henderson saved his best effort of the opening 45 minutes for just before the break, though, a fierce volley from the edge of the area producing a wonderful save from Guzan.
Second period
Villa improved at the start of the second period with James Milner finally making an impact.
Milner, booed by the home crowd as a former Newcastle player, almost created the opening goal shortly after the restart with a powerful surge down the right but his low driven cross was inches ahead of Heskey in the middle.
Sunderland, and Henderson in particular, still looked dangerous going forward and his clever curling shot after good work from Jones flashed agonisingly wide after 56 minutes.
Villa responded with another Milner cross which Young nodded wide. Milner was then denied by a wonderful last-ditch tackle from Michael Turner as Villa again threatened on the break.
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce replaced the ineffective Daryl Murphy with Reid to loud applause from the home crowd but the move failed to stem the tide as Villa carved out a great chance after 76 minutes.
Milner was again the architect with a through ball which put Agbonlahor in the clear but his shot was straight at the chest of the advancing Gordon.
Sunderland were handed the chance to make the breakthrough after 83 minutes when Cuellar was adjudged to have handled Reid's cross but Jones' low spot-kick was poor and Guzan saved with ease down to his left.
The home side cranked up the pressure in the second period of extra time although a succession of crosses into the Villa box were dealt with by the impressive James Collins and Dunne.
There was almost a late twist in the tale but Richardson passed up a golden chance to win it with time almost up.
Having dispossessed the hapless Warnock on the halfway line, the midfielder ran fully 50 yards but, with no Villa defender in sight, he could only fire his shot straight at Guzan.
And with Reid, Cana and Henderson all missing in the shoot-out, there was no way back for Sunderland.
| Sunderland |
Team Statistics |
Aston Villa |
| 0 |
Goals |
0 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 5 |
Shots on Target |
1 |
| 6 |
Shots off Target |
7 |
| 2 |
Blocked Shots |
1 |
| 6 |
Corners |
6 |
| 17 |
Fouls |
12 |
| 0 |
Offsides |
2 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
3 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 50.5 |
Possession |
49.5 |
|
