He follows in the footsteps of Zoltan Stieber and Stephen O’Halloran.

Bannan will be hoping the good form of the youth side continues as the Villa academy take on Chelsea in the first leg of the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup this Friday.

Afterwards O’Neill told www.avfc.co.uk: “That was a real sickener. We deserved to win the game because we were brilliant all afternoon.”

“We came here and took the game to them. Obviously there were periods during the match when Arsenal had the ball, as they’re entitled to do, but we were absolutely magnificent.”

“Had we seen the game out, I don’t think there’s anybody in the stadium would have thought we didn’t deserve to win it.”

O’Neill added: “It would be unfair to single out any individual player, because it was that good collectively. The players were magnificent.”

“It says a lot that we’re disappointed coming away from Arsenal with a draw. But eventually the two points might come back to haunt us, hopefully not.

“But having played so well, we should have won the game. Their goalkeeper made some terrific saves to stop us going 2-0 up and seeing it through.

“We conceded late on here today, at Liverpool and at Tottenham. But then I think about earlier this season when we grabbed a late winner against Fulham and the same against Birmingham.

“People tell me these things level out over the course of a season – whether they do or don’t is no real consolation tonight.”

Line-ups:
Arsenal: Almunia, Diaby, Sagna, Fabregas, Senderos, Gallas Booked 30), Hleb, Flamini, Clichy, Adebayor, Walcott. Subs: Lehmann, Denilson (for Senderos 78), Gilberto (for Flamini 78), Bendtner (for Diaby 59), Hoyte.

Aston Villa: Carson, Bouma, Gardner, Laursen, Davies, Young, Reo-Coker, Barry (booked 80), Maloney, Agbonlahor, Carew. Subs: Harewood (for Maloney 71), Taylor, Knight (for Reo-Coker 32), Salifou, Osbourne (for Davies 40 – booked 90).

Martin O’Neill told www.avfc.co.uk: “Curtis has ruptured his Achilles tendon and he’s going to have an operation tonight. We’re really disappointed for him.”

“He’s been doing really well and that’s a sickener. But he’ll be back. He misses the rest of the season and it’s really cruel because he’s been doing splendidly. It would have been nice to have won the game for him.”

Martin O’Neill told www.avfc.co.uk: “We were great. I felt that even allowing for the penalty miss there were goals in us today. We looked a constant threat and we’ve got some players at the top of their form.”

“It was delightful and we deserved to win the game, yet interestingly had Marlon’s goal not gone in, we might have been hanging on.”

“I think Ashley’s goal just before half-time gave us a deserved lead and compensated somewhat for the penalty miss. All day I thought we were a real handful going forward.”

“I thought our play at times was really excellent. It was difficult to fault anybody, especially in the second-half when we were very, very strong indeed.”

The Villa boss continued: “The build-up to Ashley’s goal was exceptional – and not a set-piece in sight!”

“It was great from Martin and Curtis dealing with a difficult ball. There was a delightful little bit of interplay between Nigel and Gareth. Gareth got it wide and we then got a wee bit of luck as the Reading player sold himself a little bit and allowed Gabby to come in to find Ashley.”

“Having said all of that, Ashley still has to put the ball in the net. He had to control it and as the goalkeeper came off his line, he had to direct it into the net. It was a brilliant goal.”

“Half-time came along and it was still precarious. In the second-half we created enough chances to have finished the game, but I always worried about it.”

“Then the second goal came along. Marlon’s impact has just been fantastic and the crowd have really taken to him – he’s taken to them too and we’re running short of shirts because he keeps throwing them into the crowd!”

“I look at it from our perspective, what we have,” O’Neill said. “I look at the youth team and there is some excitement in that side. Nathan Delfouneso is playing particularly well.”

“I am prepared at this minute to let him go out on loan. West Bromwich Albion have agreed the fee, the £3m plus £500,000 on games, and it will be a chance for him. That’s where we are with it. He has gone there for a medical. They would be hoping to take up the option to give them that 93-day period. Absolutely fine, not a problem.”

“More importantly, Luke wants to go. He is pretty anxious to go.”

“I don’t think there is anybody here, at this minute, with the exception of Moustapha Salifou who hasn’t really had an opportunity to come and play. Other people have been there in front.”

Moore has scored just two goals in 18 appearances this season. O’Neill added: “Sometimes that can happen. It is your overall contribution to the game.”

Moore was last in action in the 2-0 FA Cup third round defeat against Manchester United on January 5.

Villa are currently sitting 6th in the English Premier League and it is highly likely that they will make it into the European club competition on their own merits.

“We’re just covering bases but we’ve got a chance and we’re going to try and charge on if we can,” Martin O’Neill told www.avfc.co.uk.

“This is in no way a signal that we’ve given up hope of qualifying for Europe automatically,” said O’Neill.

Villa played in the Intertoto Cup in successive seasons between 2001 and 2003 and were victorious in 2001. If Villa do qualify for the Intertoto, they would play one two-legged tie over the weekends of July 19/20 and 26/27. The Intertoto Cup will be abolished after 2009.

Delfouneso, who has recently signed a professional contract at Villa, played well, setting up Forrester’s goal and forcing some fine saves from the Carlisle keeper.

Youth coach McAndrew told www.avfc.co.uk “I’m very happy and very proud. I thought the players were tremendous. We’ve probably played a little bit better before, but the commitment and the way they defended and put their bodies on the line was absolutely fantastic.”

“We’ve been talking all week about starting the game properly and trying to put them under pressure right from the first whistle.”

“I thought the first 20 minutes we played really well. We scored two goals. Harry’s was a great strike and the move for the penalty was very good.”

“We had two or three other chances, but Harry’s goal really set us on our way. I was pleased for him because he’s lacked a bit of confidence lately, but that will do him the world of good.”

“In the first-half we created a lot of chances and we could have had more goals. In the second-half they had nothing to lose and they had a right go. There were a lot of set-pieces that we had to defend, but I thought the heading at the back was absolutely fantastic.”

“The defenders put their bodies on the line when they had to and Elliot produced a fantastic double save just before half-time to keep us going.”

“It seems like I’m moaning if I say we can play a wee bit better, but I know we can. That said it’s a fantastic achievement to get through to the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup.”

The semi-final will be against either Chelsea or Port Vale.

Line-ups:
Carlisle United: Mitchell, Brown (booked 66), Duffy, Blake, Wordsworth, Aldred, Hindmarch, Wood, Madine, Cook, Tinnion. Subs: Dalton, Jameson, Lakeland, Seaton (for Tinnion 70), Dawson.

Aston Villa: Parish, Simmonds, Roome, Clarke, Baker, Clancy, Albrighton, Bannan, Collins, Delfouneso, Forrester. Subs: Bradley, Dau, Ricketts, Poyser, Grocott, Flanagan.

“We realise now that we’re facing a big challenge to finish in the top four and we’ve got to forget about the title and focus on fighting for fourth place. There are a lot of teams around us who are in good form and playing well so it’s important that we don’t let our standards drop.”

The Red’s continue to lose ground on the rest of the so called ‘big four’ which traditionally consists of themselves, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea. Liverpool, who have a game in hand, are now 11 points behind Chelsea,14 behind Manchester United, and 19 behind league leaders Arsenal.

After 26 rounds only 3 points separates the four teams occupying positions 4 through 7 on the English Premier League table. Everton are the best placed side in fourth on 47 points. Liverpool, who are 5th, have a game in hand as well as the best goal difference of the other three sides who are all on 44 points. Aston Villa are sixth with a goal difference of +14, and Manchester City are 7th (GD +5).

The 4th spot is highly sought after as it earns the successful team qualification into the lucrative European Champions League 2008/2009.

Aston Villa are one of only 4 English clubs to ever win the European Cup, a feat they achieved in 1982.

The second half was a completely different story for the boys in Claret and Blue. Olof Mellberg and Stiliyan Petrov were replaced by Craig Gardner and Marlon Harewood and the impact was almost immediate. Marlon Harewoo’s pace combined well with Carew’s size and strength and Harewood had a chance almost straight from the kick-off as Villa’s renewed attacking intent was made clear.

Two minutes later Bouma scored his first goal for the club from 75 games after his shot from 20 yards out on the left side of the box was deflected into the net past a happless Shay Given, who injured his groin attempting to save the shot.

Three mintes after the equaliser Ashley Young crossed in superbly for Carew who used the back of his head to slot the ball home for 2-1.

Carew’s second goal came in the 72nd minute, as Newcastle were unable to clear a corner after an ineffective punch off the line by Harper came back toward goal and a weak clearing header by Nicky Butt went straight to Carew who headed the ball home with ease.

Aston Villa finished the game in the in the 90th minute after Steven Carr hand-balled in the box in desperation challenging for a high ball against the much larger Carew who smashed the following penalty into the back of the old onion bag, claiming his first hatrick for the club.

John Carew’s was Villa’s first hatrick at Villa Park since 1995.

“We had to try and do something at half-time,” O’Neill said. “Once we got the equaliser it gave us the momentum to finish the job. “

“I am naturally delighted. It was fantastic stuff in the second half. I thought the first half was getting away from us a bit and there was a definite hangover from the Fulham game,” continued O’Neill.

“I thought the substitutes had a big impact and made a real contribution. They added more drive and determination to our play – but that’s not knocking Olof and Stiliyan who have been big players for us this season.”

The win leaves Villa in 5th place on 44 points.

Togolese international Moustapha Salifou has been granted one year contract extension by Villa manager Martin O’Neill. The deal will keep Salifou at the club for a further 18 months, as he still had 6 months remaining on his current deal.

“We are taking him on for the extra season so he is here for another 18 months,” O’Neill told the Birmingham Mail.

Salifou, who hasn’t had a single start in the first team this season, has been very impressive for the Villa Reserves.

“He has been a wee bit unlucky because just when he was forcing his way in he hurt his knee again but he is okay now.”

“He played for the reserves the other night and did fine and he has been playing very well.”

“Can he make the step up? The step is all about someone coming in and having the confidence in that player to go and do it.”

It is highly likely that Salifou will get some chances in the first team in the latter stages of this season and he would be a more than adequate replacement in midfield should any serious injuries arise.