BACK home and back to the pre-Cascarino formation, Aston Villa revived a season that threatened to die with the last of the autumn leaves.

Middlesbrough succumbed 3-2 to a team whose general virtues were concealed by the brilliance of a goal from Tony Daley.

It deserved to settle this Rumbelows League Cup tie and that it did not was due only to four final minutes of defensive lunacy.

Villa's early first-half superiority had faded into a malaise of misplaced passes when, after 63 minutes, Daley dispossessed Alan Kernaghan with a tackle that rattled the central defender's substantial frame.

Jinking into the penalty area, the winger swivelled past Tony Mowbray and left Colin Cooper practically swooning, before sweeping home a left-foot shot.

If ever there was a goal that marked a player 'made for England', this was it.

Manager Jozef Venglos had reverted, perhaps not all that surprisingly in view of disjointed recent performances, to the team who served Villa with such thrilling distinction for half of last season.

Ormondroyd, Olney and Daley awkward, neat and quick in that order constantly troubled the Middlesbrough defence.

Although three early inviting crosses reminded a 17,317 crowd of Cascarino's absence, the fourth, perfectly delivered by Chris Price was headed in by Ormondroyd.

Leading 2-0 when lan Ormondroyd had scored with a 13th minute Eiffel-high header at the far post, David Platt's thumping 80th minute penalty appeared to be decisive until Bernie Slaven slipped in two late goals for Middlesbrough.

As though exhausted by their opening bow, Villa vanished as a creative force for 20 minutes.

Paul McGrath's second half surges through midfield urged Villa to a new momentum.

Although Gordon Cowans and David Platt remained busy rather than inventive, the reformation appeared wholly successful when Daley's goal was followed by a harsh penalty decision after Phillips bombshell had collided with Olney.

But the solidity of the Villa defence has grown suspect these last few weeks and twice Spink was drawn into premature commitment for the Slaven goals.

Nevertheless, this was a night of relief for Venglos whose four months at Villa Park have soared and swooped as dramatically as the Tory government’s.