Thursday, December 4, 2003
Aston Villa 3-0 C Palace
Juan Pablo Angel had a hand in all three goals as Aston Villa booked their place in the last eight of the Carling Cup.
Villa took the lead after 22 minutes when Angel's shot took a wicked deflection off the back of Crystal Palace caretaker boss Kit Symons.
The Colombian then set up Gavin McCann for the second before completing the scoring himself.
Villa could have had more but wasted a host of chances in the opening 45 minutes.
The home side came out flying, Angel heading off target and Darius Vassell testing Palace keeper Cedric Berthelin within minutes of the kick-off.
It was a case of shoot on sight for Villa and Stefan Moore then Dion Dublin tried their luck without any joy.
Gavin McCann then crossed for Gareth Barry who headed wide before further efforts from Vassell and Moore.
It was little surprise when Villa took the lead, although there was a huge slice of fortune about the goal.
Angel tried an ambitious effort from well outside the box that looked to be heading wide before smacking off Symons' head and looping past Berthelin.
Villa kept piling forward after the goal and Thomas Hitzlsperger fired in a shot that tested Berthelin.
Palace could barely get out their own half as the Premiership side looked for a second.
Villa were almost made to pay for their missed chances when Tommy Black missed a sitter for Palace.
Dougie Freedman had a header that Thomas Sorensen kept out but from the rebound Black somehow fired over from a few yards out.
Palace again threatened when Neil Shipperley won the ball in the air and Michael Hughes fired in a shot that Sorensen saved.
Back came Villa and Berthelin needed two attempts to hold onto a swerving 30-yard drive from Hitzlsperger.
Palace grew in confidence as the game went on but Villa got the crucial second goal when Angel nodded down for McCann who headed past Berthelin.
Angel got the third when Hitzlsperger crossed and he had the simple task of tapping home from close range.
Aston Villa: Sorensen, De la Cruz, Mellberg, Dublin, Samuel, Stefan Moore, McCann, Hitzlsperger, Barry, Angel, Vassell. Subs: Hendrie, Postma, Allback, Whittingham, Ridgewell.
Crystal Palace: Berthelin, Fleming, Symons, Popovic, Borrowdale, Butterfield, Derry, Hughes, Black, Shipperley, Freedman. Subs: Granville, Watson, Riihilahti, Routledge, Myhre.
Referee: M Dean (Wirral)
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