Aston Villa see off Brighton to maintain winning cup form

Aston Villa fans were compelled to relive "a night of history" before kick-off, referring to the 6-4 midweek win over Blackburn that paved the way to the Carling Cup final. At times it seemed that message had fed through to the players. Against a Brighton side resting 56 league places beneath them Villa once again traded on quantity rather than quality, as their fleetingly inspired ­counterattacking play was undermined by long periods of benevolent torpor. Brighton may have felt a sense of momentum going into this fixture after winning their last three games – all away from home – and defeating Rushden & Diamonds, Wycombe and Torquay to get this far. Their 6,400 fans who ­travelled up from Sussex presumably felt it too, yet if the ultimate scoreline at least ­suggested respectability, they would have been disappointed by their side's timid start. Stephen Warnock's bizarre decision to dribble across the face of his own goal could have led to an opportunity for Brighton but instead it proved the building block of a sweeping move, with Ashley Young feeding Marc Albrighton on the right wing. The pigeon-chested winger was half-checked by the left back Jimmy McNulty but he ­composed himself to lay on an easy tap-in for Nathan Delfouneso. Albrighton limped off immediately afterwards, to be replaced by James Milner, but aside from one eye-catching surge from Fabian Delph, Villa were slow to build on their lead as Brighton recovered their sense of purpose. Four minutes before half-time they were level. Elliott Bennett's corner seemed innocuous enough as it skimmed into Brad Guzan's near post, but Villa's collective indecision allowed Tommy Elphick to prod home from close range. Gus Poyet, Brighton's relentlessly ­positive manager, allowed his straight-backed, sergeant's stance to relax for a second or two, sharing a celebratory handshake with his assistant, Mauricio Taricco. But any sense of satisfaction shared between the two former Tottenham players was short-lived. Two minutes after the break Villa launched a stinging counterattack, and despite being ­easily outnumbered by Brighton defenders Milner was able to pick out Stewart Downing in space, and the left-winger chipped across for Young to head past Michael Kuipers. On 63 minutes Brighton's game was up, as Milner careered through the centre, once again unchecked, and sent Delph through on goal. The 20-year-old showed impressive close control as he drifted to the right before planting a low, precise finish into the right corner. It was enough to earn him the man of the match award. On this evidence he will win many more. Villa, for whom Curtis Davies returned from injury for his first appearance since August, remained vulnerable with Sébastien Carole forcing a strong-armed save from Guzan, before the veteran striker Nicky Forster spun away from James Collins to score in injury time. "We made a couple of mistakes and paid the price for that," Poyet said. "I was never going to come to Villa Park and try and play for a 0-0 and be boring. That is not my style. I wanted to come and entertain and the boys can be proud of their efforts." Neutrals would perhaps say the second goal was more than Brighton deserved. But at the very least it served as a notice to those predicting Villa would reach a second cup final this season. "We could do; we'll try," Martin O'Neill said, "but I'm not sure if we're good enough." Time will tell.