Vassell double starts Villa's stroll into quarter-finals

Aston Villa 5 Preston North End

Five exceptional goals, which had the victorious Graham Taylor and the vanquished Craig Brown nominating any or all as early contenders for the goal-of-the-season awards, swept Aston Villa to a home Worthington Cup quarter-final against Liverpool at the expense of a Preston side who were ultimately outclassed last night.

Darius Vassell, doubling his season's tally, pounced either side of half-time in what was initially a close-fought tie. Not until the last 10 minutes after Brown had, with Saturday's First Division match against Wimbledon in mind, replaced Preston's hard-working unit in central midfield, did Villa cut loose to record their biggest victory of Taylor's second coming.

No sooner had Dion Dublin converted Gareth Barry's cross with a classic centre-forward's header than Juan Pablo Angel volleyed in with his first touch as a substitute. Thomas Hitzlsperger then made it three in seven minutes with what Brown called "a thunderbolt".

"There wasn't a tap-in or a fluky goal among them," purred Taylor. "I feel some sympathy for Preston because their performance didn't warrant a five-goal beating."

Brown, who earlier learned that he has lost his injured top scorer, Ricardo Fuller, for the rest of the season, declined to gloss over what the Scots term a gubbing. "It's pretty obvious that the better team won," he said.

Taylor and Brown did overlap briefly in their respective international reigns. When Brown had last brought a team to Villa Park, during Euro 96, the stadium was a tartan soundtrap as Scotland overcame Switzerland and Ally McCoist scored with a strike to match Hitzlsperger's.

This time the ground was more than half-empty. The sections housing Preston's 5,000 followers were a bulging, vibrant exception, and while they saw more of the goalmouth action than they would have wished, Villa only occasionally threatened to capitalise on their ascendancy before Vassell broke the deadlock.

The goal came in the 44th minute. Adam Eaton's weak clearing header from Barry's cross allowed Mark Kinsella to feed the ball into the danger area, where Vassell was quicker to the ball than Chris Lucketti, half-volleying home from six yards.

Preston's status as the only team in all four divisions in double figures for drawn games meant Villa needed at least one more goal to feel secure. They duly doubled their advantage 10 minutes into the second half.

The build-up was patient – Barry sweeping the ball wide to Lee Hendrie, who found Dublin near the penalty spot – and the execution even better. Taking his partner's short pass, Vassell waltzed between Lucketti and Colin Murdock before beating David Lucas.

David Healy was fractionally wide with a diving header, the closest Preston came. Villa, however, began to pass with panache and precision, and, as Preston tired, they found finishing prowess to match.

Aston Villa (4-4-2): Enckelman; Samuel (De La Cruz, 82), Johnsen, Staunton, Barry; Leonhardsen, Taylor (Kinsella, 31), Hendrie, Hitzlsperger; Dublin, Vassell (Angel, 82). Substitutes not used: Allback, Postma (gk).

Preston North End (4-4-2): Lucas; Alexander, Lucketti, Murdock, Eaton; Skora (Mears, 81), McKenna (Rankine, 63), Etuhu (Cartwright, 63), Lewis; Healy, Cresswell. Substitutes not used: Broomes, Moilanen (gk).

Referee: C Wilkes (Gloucester).