*Aston Villa sealed a place in the FA Cup semi-final and a first trip to Wembley in five years with a second victory inside a week over fierce west Midlands rivals West Brom.*

In a game marred by ugly crowd scenes involving both sets of supporters towards the end, Villa secured the win with second-half goals by Fabian Delph and Scott Sinclair.

An already powder-keg atmosphere was ignited when West Brom’s Claudio Yacob was harshly sent off for a second yellow card just before Sinclair wrapped up the win with Villa’s second.

Some Albion fans ripped out several seats and hurled them on to the pitch while Villa’s supporters prematurely invaded the playing surface in a victory celebration before referee Anthony Taylor had sounded the final whistle.

When Taylor did bring the game to its conclusion, thousands of Villa supporters ran on to the pitch, with West Brom substitute
Callum McManaman particularly angry about his treatment, getting involved in altercations before he was hustled down the tunnel.

It threatened to overshadow another landmark win for new Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood after the crucial Premier League win over The Baggies in midweek - and they can now contemplate their first trip to Wembley since the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Chelsea in 2010.

Villa were also reduced to 10 men in stoppage time but by then the game was won. The celebrations from the home fans were suitably wild - but the Football Association will surely look at those disturbing scenes towards the end.

West Brom took 45 minutes to get started in Tuesday’s league defeat - but they were on the front foot right away and should have taken an early lead when Ideye blazed Craig Gardner’s cross over the top at the Holte End with only Shay Given to beat from eight yards.

Ideye saw a more difficult chance, a diving header, saved by the veteran Republic of Ireland keeper while at the other end Villa, without Christian Benteke after he suffered a minor hip injury in training, were struggling to mount any sustained pressure.

The shape of the game changed six minutes after the break when Charles N’Zogbia was allowed too much time and space, to the obvious disgust of Pulis, before setting up Delph to thump a low finish past Boaz Myhill.

Albion’s response was instant and should have brought an equaliser when Joleon Lescott produced a miss almost as bad as Ideye’s to head a corner wide at the far post.

As West Brom chased the equaliser, spaces inevitably started to appear and Sinclair almost took advantage when he raced clear but pulled an angled finish wide.

Albion’s task was made harder by the sending off of Yacob, with referee Taylor seeming to hesitate before stopping play and bringing out the second yellow card - while Sinclair’s goal, completed with real composure five minutes from time, simply completed the formalities amid an increasingly toxic atmosphere.

In the dying seconds, the home side were also reduced to 10 men as substitute Jack Grealish received two yellow cards within the last 16 minutes, the last one for simulation.