1-1

Aston Villa and Hartlepool who have made a habit of drawing in the League Cup this season, predictably shared last night’s match at the Victoria Ground.

The replay has been provisionally fixed for Monday week, subject to Hartlepool’s performance in the FA Cup two days before, and when it takes place it will be Villa’s sixth match in three rounds and Hartlepool’s ninth in four rounds.

Until an hour had passed it seemed that the Fourth Division side would not draw again.

Villa had gone ahead through their veteran left back, Charlie Aitken, and were comfortably In control.

Hartlepool responded to the frenzied prompting of their biggest crowd since they played the Busby Babes in the Cup 17 years ago and equalised in the 60th minute through leading scorer, Malcolm Moore, his fifth goal of competition.

Aitken’s goal - his first of the season - ended a ten minute spell of pressure by Hartlepool, the only time Villa were at all disconcerted in the half. Until then Villa had played cooly, if drearily, and only a sense of occasion kept the crowd keyed up.

The headline in the local paper read “Villa team of many talents“ but It was difficult to spot them.

Hartlepool began to force the pace a little. It was enthusiasm, kindled by the crowd, rather than malevolence which caused the bodies to fall, but the Villa defence became ragged.

They survived two penalty appeals, albeit ambitious ones, and Moore missed what was to prove the game’s easiest chance after 30 minutes. He was put through by Malcolm Dawes but he slid his shot across the goal and wide of goalkeeper Jimmy Cumbes’s right hand post.

Expensive, because Aitken’s goal came four minutes later.

As Hartlepool’s defence hoped to work an offside trap, Aitken galloped through on to Chris Nicholl’s lobbed pass and clipped a right foot shot past goalkeeper Barry Watling.

As the second half started it seemed that both sets of players had decided that Villa had won. But then Aitken fouled Rob Smith and Jimmy Shoulder moved over from left back to chip the right side free kick left footed into the penalty area and Moore’s flick bounced wide of Cumbes.

Understandably. Hartlepool were lifted by this and Frank Carrodus was cautioned by the referee, Michael Lowe. of Sheffield, for tripping Smith.

Tony Betts came on for Bobby Campbell in the 70th minute and Villa began to move more smoothly and it was only Watling who saved his side.

He caught Brian Little’s shot at full stretch a brilliant save and then stopped Jimmy Brown’s measured drive.

Between these, Nichol! should have scored with a header which flew high over the bar but Villa were not really worth more than a draw.