3-1

*Taylor settles the eternal tie*

Extra-time goals from Julian Joachim and Ian Taylor took Aston Villa into the semi-finals of the Worthington Cup last night after a superb shot from Taylor 10 minutes from the end of ordinary time had earned them yet another reprieve in their protracted quarter-final against West Ham United, a tie ordered to be replayed by the Football League after the London club had brought an ineligible player off the bench in the first game.

Between those two goals Paolo di Canio had earned a penalty for West Ham when his run was ended by David James’s dive at his feet, but then the goalkeeper saved the Italian’s weak kick from the spot.

Frank Lampard had broken a tedious stalemate early in the second half with his 11th goal of the season for West Ham, who looked to be heading for a semi-final against Leicester City or Fulham, but with 11 minutes remaining Gareth Southgate nodded down a corner from Alan Thompson and Taylor drove the ball into the roof of the net.

Aston Villa’s reprieve, after they had lost the original tie on penalties, had heralded a resurgence of form by John Gregory’s side and they returned to Upton Park following a run of four wins in five games. Nevertheless their attack was restricted by the absence of the injured Dion Dublin and the ineligible Benito Carbone.

Last night Gregory employed Julian Joachim as a lone striker supported by whatever runs and passes Paul Merson and Steve Stone, playing just behind him, could provide. With Paulo Wanchope and Paul Kitson unfit, West Ham were also forced to improvise, Trevor Sinclair playing in a more central role than usual alongside Paolo Di Canio.

A locking of horns in midfield was inevitable, with West Ham looking to the creative strengths of Lampard and Joe Cole to find space amid the milling throng. Villa, however, achieved more penetration when they did move forward and came close to taking the lead on the quarter-hour. Joachim turned on a low cross from Stone and drove a shot against the inside of a post, the ball ricocheting across the face of goal.

Matches like this tend to congeal like stale milk. For long periods neither side could work the ball out of midfield to any meaningful effect. Villa are especially adept at denying opponents space and time on the ball and West Ham found it difficult to create the angles they needed.

By half-time the tie had become a Gordian knot of a game with no sign of a loose end. Yet within two minutes of the second half the match started to unravel as West Ham took the lead.

The simplicity of the goal made a nonsense of much of what had gone before. As Lampard made a late run on the right Steve Lomas volleyed the ball into his path. At last the combination of Villa’s defence had been cracked and, as David James advanced rashly to meet him, Lampard clipped a cool shot into the net.

The replacement of Merson by Darius Vassell a few minutes later did not enhance Villa’s chance of saving the tie. And, as they took more risk in attack, so Cole, Sinclair and Di Canio found more space.

Now Villa began to miss Dublin’s aerial power in earnest. Joachim was never going to pose a serious threat to the West Ham defenders unless he received the sort of passes which would enable him to take them on for pace, and these were rare.

James, meanwhile, denied West Ham a second goal in the 63rd minute when he dropped sharply on Lomas’s firm downward header after Di Canio’s shrewdly flighted centre had deceived the Villa defence.

Gregory replaced Steve Watson with Thompson to give his team more weight in attack but Villa’s passing was becoming erratic and their movements were too untidy seriously to disturb West Ham’s defence. But then came Taylor’s goal to carry the game into extra-time again.