*Villa experience the comfort zone*

Aston Villa’s dissident fans were given little cause to brandish their “Ellis Out” banners last night as David O’Leary’s team enjoyed a comfortable passage into the Carling Cup quarter-final.

They were put on their way, however, by a fortunate goal and a remarkable miss by Palace midfielder Tommy Black.

O’Leary, the Villa manager, does not share the opinion of his predecessor that the club has a crop of promising youngsters. This encounter with struggling First Division opponents, however, gave him the chance to re-evaluate that view.

While O’Leary did not follow the example set by Arsenal and send out almost an entire team of youngsters, there was a sprinkling of them in his squad.

Liam Ridgewell and Peter Whittingham were named among the substitutes whilst teenage striker Stefan Moore was given his first start of the season.

Before kick-off O’Leary had demanded more goal attempts and the message had clearly been absorbed by most of his players.

Dion Dublin, once again lining up in the centre of defence, tested goalkeeper Cedric Berthelin with a header before Gareth Barry followed suit courtesy of a deflection via a Palace defender.

A Villa goal looked inevitable but when it finally arrived a large measure of good fortune was involved.

Columbian striker Juan Pablo Angel tried his luck from outside the penalty area and his attempt was bolstered as the ball hit the shoulder of Palace player-manager Kit Symons before looping over the stranded Berthelin.

Seconds later, Villa opted for more conventional means to try and add to their tally when Thomas Hitzlsperger executed a shot of such power that it passed through Berthelin’s hands before cannoning to safety off the keepers’ left hand post. Villa were dominant but only an astonishing mess by Palace midfielder Tommy Black prevented them from going into the interval with the scores level.

Villa keeper Thomas Sorensen did well to keep out a save from Dougie Freedman but should have been beaten when the rebound fell to Black. The former Arsenal youth player was just two yards out and had the goal at his mercy but inexplicably lifted the ball over the crossbar and into the jeering Holte end.

Black did not appear for the second-half, replaced by teenage winger Wayne Routledge, but Palace began pressing hard for the equaliser.

Their best chance fell to Shipperley but his header was directed straight at Sorensen.

Villa, meanwhile, were equally profligate at the other end and finally put the result beyond doubt when Gavin McCann scored his first goal for the club since moving from Sunderland in the summer.