SWINDON TOWN discovered yesterday that it takes more than a cultured passing game to bring success in the FA Cup, as Aston Villa reached the quarter-finals for the second time in three years.

Dwight Yorke and Stephen Froggatt provided the goals to accompany the luck which took Villa into the last eight, and having replied through David Mitchell, Swindon were left to regret their early wasted opportunities.

Swindon, organised superbly by Glenn Hoddle off the pitch and well directed by Hazard on it, were often a joy to watch. They passed their way out of trouble, used overlapping full-backs to great effect and refused to be intimidated by their First Division opposition.

But Hoddle, whose style was honed on the Continent, was finally outsmarted by Ron Atkinson, the Villa manager, who led Manchester United to FA Cup success in 1985 and Sheffield Wednesday to triumph in the Rumbelows Cup a year ago.

Villa, who last won the Cup in 1957, had one advantage over Swindon players - they are capable of finishing, although their recent scoring rate has been poor. Yorke has now scored 15 goals this season, and, more importantly, five have come in the Cup. Swindon dominated the early play in an always enthralling tie and they should have been in the lead before Yorke scored.

In the eighth minute, Kerslake left Teale and Kubicki behind him before crossing to Jones, whose 15-yard drive clipped the top of the crossbar.

But Villa. who had made only one mediocre raid on the Swindon goal, took the lead in the 39th minute when Park passed to Yorke. who dispatched a delightful right-foot shot from 20 yards into the bottom corner of the net.

It was cruel luck for Swindon but they maintained their intelligent, inspirational passing game heroes and Shearer, their 28-goal striker, should have equalised when Hazard and Kerslake combined to give him a good chance.

But Villa stole what proved to be the winner in the 62nd minute when, after Yorke had wasted one chance, the ball fell to Froggatt, 18, whose remarkable 25-yard shot gave goalkeeper Hammond no chance - Froggatt's first goal in senior football.