Aston Villa calmly ended Colchester’s giant-killing run last night, so coming within one round of their second Wembley appearance in four years.

They were taken to within 180 minutes of the League Cup final - the semi-finals are played on a two-leg basis - by Alan Little’s first goal for the club and Ray Graydon’s 18th goal of the season.

It also puts Villa’s manager, Ron Saunders, in sight of a unique hat-trick going to Wembley with three different clubs in successive seasons.

The previous occasions were also In the League Cup with Norwich and Manchester City, but the Villa fans who misguidedly shouted “easy, easy” at Layer Road will hope that Saunders goes one better this time and makes a speech at the winners’ banquet.

Although it never seemed that Villa would lose last night, Jim Cumbes had to make three very good saves In the second half as Colchester realised they had not played with enough enthusiasm or effort before the interval.

And in the last quarter of an hour, with Colchester pushing everybody forward, there were some moments when the numbers in the penalty area induced panic in the Villa defence which led to John Froggatt’s goal.

But it came in the 85th minute and by then it was too late, although the atmosphere, in the remaining minutes was memorably tense.

Villa’s first goal - also the first conceded by Colchester in the League Cup this season - was inevitable as the game wore on but it was an added bonus that it should be scored by Alan Little as a result of a pass from his elder brother, Brian.

Steve Leslie’s runs on the left caused Villa minor problems but after 28 minutes Colchester did not clear a corner properly.

Frank Carrodus chased the ball, found Chico Hamilton with a fine pass and Hamilton went inside a defender before hitting the ball low to Brian Little. He tapped it sideways and although his brother’s 12-yard shot hit the goalkeeper’s legs it carried enough force to enter the net.

The game was surprisingly well-mannered, although Colchester’s captain Mick Cook was spoken to after a foul on Hamilton and the referee, John Hunting, also waved an admonitory finger at Alan Little when the Villa goalscorer trod on Leslie.

The fervour which put out Carlisle, Southampton and Oxford in previous rounds and which was missing from Colchester’s play in the first half returned in the second half but it was Villa who responded best to the break.

Magnificent Brian Little hit the bar with a header from Graydon’s cross after 51 minutes and then Graydon scored a magnificent goal ten minutes later, picking the ball up just inside Colchester’s half, running on and scoring with a 30-yard shot.

In between these attacks Cumbes made his first notable save.

From a beautifully worked free kick the goalkeeper saved one-handed from Jimmy Lindsay and John Robson clouted the ball clear.

Cumbes’s next stop came after 70 minutes.

From Unsay’s free kick Bobby Svarc’s header was firm and accurate but Cumbes’ save was a stunning leap to his right to save one handed.

In the 75th minute he stopped Phil Thomas scoring when the winger flicked Ray Bunkell’s shot goalwards but he had little chance ten minutes later when Froggatt drove substitute Lindsay Smith’s pass into the net.

It was an anxious last few minutes for Cumbes and his co-defenders but it should not obliterate their cool work for most of the game.