*Villa snatch late hope*

Darius Vassell’s last minute strike gave Villa hope of overturning a single goal deficit in the second leg of their Intertoto Cup semi-final against Rennes.

Vassell’s late goal came at the end of a night that started badly for Villa and only got worse until his late intervention.

Prior to the match Peter Schmeichel pulled a calf muscle in the warm-up forcing John Gregory to play Peter Enckelman in his place.

And within 20 minutes insult was added to injury when Severino Lucas gave Rennes a deserved lead.

The Brazilian striker latched onto a through ball from Olivier Monterrubio before beating Enckelman.

The hosts continued to push forward against a lacklustre Villa side and Monterrubio almost doubled their advantage 10 minutes later.

Hassan Kachloul went close with a long-range free-kick on the stroke of half-time but it proved to be a one-off effort as the French first division side continued to dictate the game.

And with only 13 minutes remaining they finally got a second through Cyril Chapuis who had only been on the pitch for five minutes after coming on in place of a tiring Monterrubio.

Two minutes later, after bringing on David Ginola and Moustapha Hadji earlier in the half with no reward, Gregory made a final, and telling, change.

With time ebbing away Vassell met Ginola’s free-kick to give his side a vital away goal in a tie that may go all the way to the wire in the second leg at Villa Park next Wednesday.