Aston Villa, the League Cup holders, made heavy weather of defending their trophy at Villa Park last night but late goals from Keith Leonard and Chris Nicholl pushed them into the third round.

The first came in the 63rd minute in front of the Holte End, and only seconds after the supporters on that part of the ground had called for Leonard’s withdrawal.

Chico Hamilton’s pass to Brian Little on the left started the move. Little’s cross isolated Leonard and David Holt six yards from goal and with Keith Ogden deciding to stay on his line Leonard was able to chest the ball down and hook it into the net. The Holte Enders stopped chanting for Sammy Morgan.

Nicholl’s goal arrived 13 minutes later. Ogden made his third astonishing save to push Little’s shot for a corner but when Hamilton pushed the ball short to Ray Graydon, who crossed for Nicholl’s head, even the Oldham goalkeeper’s agility was redundant.

But although Ogden can be proud of his night’s work Villa did not play well. Against a lesser goalkeeper the score would have been doubled but that would have flattered the holders. Indeed. Oldham came closest to scoring in the first half. Leighton Phillips’s clearing header went only as far as lan Wood before it was thumped back spectacularly against a post.

Wood went close again in the first half but Jim Cumbes scrambled his shot for a corner.

This was nothing like the game last April when Villa, on the way to promotion, annihilated Oldham 5-0. Villa were less assured, Oldham less fragile and the outcome was a much closer contest.

The first half could have gone either way and if Ogden was throwing himself in all directions after the interval. Cumbes had by no means an easy time. After Frank Carrodus’s well taken left foot shot had forced the Oldham goalkeeper into a flying leap to clutch a ball made greasy by early rain, Cumbes fumbled a shot from George Jones but recovered before Wood could react.

Then Leonard scored and Ogden twisted to his left to save from Graydon before Cumbes had to spring to his right to palm Maurice Whittle’s 30-yard free kick for a corner. Les Chapman was booked for a foul on Phillips just before Nicholl scored and even with only a few minutes left Oldham had not given up.

In the 84th minute Graham Bell shot against the angle and with Cumbes missing from his goal Jones dived forward to nod the ball gently inches wide of the post.