ASTON VILLA captain Kevin Richardson held his head in horror after blazing over the bar in an extended penalty shoot-out at Selhurst Park as Wimbledon knocked his team out of the FA Cup for the third time in five years.

The sudden death shoot-out always looked the only way to separate the two teams locked in exhausting combat for two hours, thanks to the repeated heroics of goalkeepers Hans Segers and Mark Bosnich, the Australian reserve who came in to replace Villa’s illness-hit No. 1 Nigel Spink.

Both sides had to take seven spot kicks to settle the outcome.

John Fashanu, Neil Ardley, Brian McAllister and Vinnie Jones all scored effortlessly for Wimbledon and Garry Parker, Dean Saunders and Steve Staunton did similarly for Villa.

When Neil Cox saw his effort saved by Segers’ knee, Dean Holdsworth had the chance to clinch it but hit a post.

Dwight Yorke levelled matters again, after Sean Teale had replied to further successful Wimbledon efforts by Gerald Dobbs and Roger Joseph, it was the luckless Richardson who made the fatal blunder.

Wimbledon just about deserved their dramatic success after gaining the upper hand during extra time.

Bosnich twice saved brilliantly from Holdsworth and Fashanu, although Villa were unlucky when McAllister’s last-ditch clearance denied Parker.

Wimbledon had responded to dub owner Sam Hammam’s prematch battle cry by thundering into tackles which saw Jones and Fashanu both booked in the opening 17 minutes.

Jones, who starts his third suspension of the season on Saturday and misses the games against Leeds and Arsenal, is now well on course for a fourth ban.

He added to his controversial reputation in a touchline row with Villa coach Jim Barron, but it was Jones and his Crazy Gang pals who had the last word.

Segers was their hero, saving from Cox in the shoot-out to add to his string of stops in normal time.