THERE wasn't so much a smell of fish around Cleethorpes on Saturday, more the scent of Wembley.

Villa clearly have it in their nostrils after emerging from a second consecutive afternoon of FA Cup discomfort to take their place in the fifth round.

Ron Atkinson's men, already on the threshold of the Twin Towers in the Coca-Cola League Cup, are rapidly learning the art of riding their luck in the competition where fortune tends to play an influential role.

FA Cup history is Littered with stories of Wembley winners who reflect on an earlier tie where they might easily have gone out.

Villa - have now lived to tell the tale from two such occasions after scraping past plucky Exeter City in the third round and gutsy Grimsby in the fourth.

They haven't exactly been on the brink of elimination in either tie, but they were certainly ill-at-ease for long stretches of a robust and fascinating match at Blundell Park.

Alan Buckley's Mariners, noted for their pursuit approach to the game, added a touch of steel to their pretty football to put Big Ron's outfit on the rack.

When substitute Dwight Yorke conjured up the winning goal 12 minutes from time, the roar from Villa's travelling band of 3,300 fans was one of relief as much as delight.

If the tie at that stage appeared to be heading for a replay, the most likely alternative was a Grimsby breakthrough.

It was just as well that 13-goal leading scorer Clive Mendonca, while providing a constant threat in the Mariners' promising buildups, was never able to get into positions to really hurt Villa.

That was due to some sound and sensible defending by Paul McGrath and Earl Barrett, forced to revert from right-back to a central position after Shaun Teale's 21st minute dismissal for his wrestling sideshow with striker Steve Livingstone.

Strangely enough: Villa's back four were more settled after substitute Neil Cox had taken over at right-back in the reshuffle which followed Teale's exit.

In midfield, it was more a question of painting by numbers rather than a complete picture, particularly after the wing threat of Tony Daley had been sacrificed to maintain defensive stability in the wake of the Teale dismissal.

Ray Houghton’s precise passing and awesome vision was the inspiration behind most of Villa’s more threatening moves.

With Dean Saunders limping off after 35 minutes, Villa could have been left lightweight upfront, too.

But Dalian Atkinson's slippery skills would have eluded the most stringent North Sea trawler and Yorke made the most of the his long-awaited chance of first team action.

The manner in which Atkinson shrugged off Peter Handyside's clumsy challenge to set up Houghton's 13th minute opener was sheer class, while Yorke was lively and eager.

His darting run across the penalty area and stunning right foot shot for the winner announced the fact that he is ready to give his manager a selection poser.

Not that Big Ron will complain, not with Wembley within touching distance in one cup and on the horizon in another.