*Villa crash out to Celta*

Referee Dieter Schock took centre stage as Aston Villa’s European challenge was brought to a grinding halt by Spain’s Celta Vigo.

The Swiss official sent off three players, produced a total of 13 yellow cards - six inside the first 30 minutes - as well as awarding two penalties, one of which was highly debatable.

He also blew for full time two minutes early and had to be told to resume play by one of his assistants.

Playing at The Hawthorns because work is currently going on at their own ground, Villa eventually lost the second leg 2-1 to bow out of the InterToto Cup 3-1 on aggregate.

*Damage*

Benni McCarthy did the damage for Celta, scoring either side of the break, with Gareth Barry converting a penalty for he home side after Paul Merson had missed from the spot.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Spain, Villa needed to get off to a good start but saw their hopes of progressing to the final hit by McCarthy’s first of the night after just 11 minutes.

The South African striker left the home defence for dead before beating David James with a low, right-foot shot from just inside the box.

Villa’s cause was briefly helped when Juan Velasco was sent off after being booked for the second time on 26 minutes for time-wasting.

And it got even better when Gareth Southgate was ruled to have been fouled inside the Celta penalty area on 42 minutes as he tried to get on the end of a deep corner from Lee Hendrie.

But Merson blew the chance to haul John Gregory’s side back into contention by failing to beat Pinto from the spot.

*Effort*

The second-string goalkeeper dived full-length to his right to beat away Merson’s fiercely-struck effort with his right hand.

Amazingly, Villa were handed another opportunity to equalise from the spot deep into first-half injury time when Steve Stone was left nursing a nasty cut above his left eye.

Blood gushed from the wound before the former England international was quickly bundled off for treatment.

As Stone made his way to the dressing room, Gareth Barry stepped up to send Pinto the wrong way from the spot.

Schoch then grabbed the spotlight again when he sent off Ian Taylor two minutes into the second half.

He ruled that the Villa midfielder had dived as he was challenged by JuanFran and waved a second yellow card in his direction.

*Fizzed*

Substitute Alan Thompson rattled the crossbar and then Lee Hendrie fizzed a shot just wide as Villa tried in vain to add a second.

But then McCarthy headed home a Gustavo Lopez corner on 58 minutes to end any hope the Premiership side may have had of winning a place in the Uefa Cup.

Thompson stung the fingers of Pinto with another powerful effort and Merson hit the bar late on, but it was not enough to save Villa.

To cap an awful night for Villa, Thompson was sent off in the dying seconds for elbowing JuanFran.