Carlisle United 0-2 Aston Villa
The FA Youth Cup Sponsored by E.ON
Sixth Round Proper
Thursday 14 February 2008
Brunton Park, Carlisle United FC
Click here for Sixth Round results
First team manager Martin O'Neill jetted in from the club’s training camp in Spain to watch Aston Villa's youth side win 2-0 at Carlisle and become the first team reach the Semi-Finals of this year's FA Youth Cup.
Villa will now play the winners of Port Vale and Chelsea's Quarter Final tie.
Played in front of a 1,849 crowd, three-time Youth Cup winners Villa all but finished off the game inside the opening ten minutes against a battling Carlisle side.
Harry Forrester and Barry Bannan were the Villa goalscorers. Villa started so well they could already have been ahead before Forrester's impressive opening goal after only eight minutes.
Midfielder Bannan then delivered a crushing blow to Carlisle when he doubled Villa's lead from the penalty mark, after James Collins had been tripped just two minutes later.
There was no way back for League One Carlisle after that, but they gave their Premier League visitors a stern test as they occasionally threatened to get back into the match.
Tony McAndrew’s young Villa players ultimately proved too strong though, and were good value for their victory.