Bolton hang on to clinch place in final as McCann is Villain

Aston Villa 2 Bolton 0 (Aggregate: 4-5)

It is the first time in nine years the club will contest a major showpiece event and they will go to Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on February 29.

Villa managed to reduce the three-goal deficit from the first leg when Thomas Hitzlsperger opened the scoring after nine minutes. But when they were reduced to 10 men with 52 minutes of play remaining when Gavin McCann was sent off.

It proved to be the turning point. Jlloyd Samuel managed to get a second late on to set up a rousing finale but it was too little too late.

With striker Juan Pablo Angel sidelined with a leg injury, Peter Crouch was given the nod ahead of Marcus Allback.

Sam Allardyce brought in Simon Charlton, Per Frandsen and Ibrahim Ba for Anthony Barness, Jay-Jay Okocha and Kevin Nolan.

Villa had the best of the first half and Darius Vassell nearly reduced the deficit after three minutes. He got on the end of a Gareth Barry flick on but only managed to find the body of goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Bolton were struggling to get going but Youri Djorkaeff broke forward and laid the ball back to Frandsen, who sent a shot over the top.

Hitzlsperger made the breakthrough for Villa in the ninth minute after Ivan Campo had tripped Crouch. The Germany U-21 midfielder took the free-kick and left Jaaskelainen flat-footed as his sweet effort from 20 yards found the corner.

The game took a dramatic turn in the 38th minute when McCann challenged Jaaskelainen strongly and then appeared to slap Thome on the face, receiving a straight red card from referee Steve Bennett.

Bolton responded on the counter attack and Nicky Hunt got clear but scuffed his effort wide when Djorkaeff was in a better position. Peter Whittingham replaced Hendrie in the 47th minute after he suffered a groin strain.

Bolton were looking a lot more organised in the second half as Villa threw men forward. Dion Dublin went up with the attack with 20 minutes to go.

Villa fans screamed for a penalty when Bruno N’Gotty clashed with Dublin but referee Bennett would have none of it.

Samuel grabbed a second goal for Villa two minutes from time but Bolton held out to clinch a place in a final for the first time since 1995 when they lost to Liverpool in the League Cup final.

ASTON VILLA: Sorensen, Delaney, Mellberg, Dublin, Samuel, Hendrie (Whittingham 47), McCann, Hitzlsperger, Barry, Crouch, Vassell.

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, N’Gotty, Thome, Charlton (Barness 68), Giannakopoulos, Frandsen (Javi Moreno 88), Campo, Ba, Davies, Djorkaeff (Pedersen 78).

Referee: S Bennett (Kent).