Leicester bury the boring tag

Leicester answered their growing legion of critics with a defiantly stylish performance as they outplayed Aston Villa to reach the English League Cup final.

Amid all of the sniping aimed at Filbert Street recently, Martin O'Neill had asked for his team to be properly judged when his crop of injured players finally returned to the side. Afterwards the question was put: "Boring?" O'Neill replied with a huge smile of satisfaction: "Absolutely fantastic." With star names back in action, the Irishman would be entitled to serve up humble pie for critics Arsene Wenger and Ken Bates to eat after a performance brimming with attacking endeavour and no small measure of skill.

Supposedly boring, apparently negative, allegedly content to go through on penalties, Leicester instead produced a convincing case for the defence at Filbert Street.

Indeed, it was Villa who were penned back in their own half and forced to rely on the counterattack or high balls - and they failed to trouble home keeper Tim Flowers until the 77th minute.

After a slow start, Leicester had increasingly gathered pace, driven forward by their returning midfield duo of Muzzy Izzet and Neil Lennon.

With Robbie Savage a constantly active supply line down the right flank, Leicester won most of the 50-50 balls, and even several of the 40-60 balls in midfield and defence, while up front, Emile Heskey's hold-up play was exemplary.

Villa keeper David James had to produce a superb block to deny Heskey early on after the striker had capitalised on a mistake by Gareth Barry.

Then Elliott struck in first-half injury time, rising above the static figure of Ehiogu to plant a superb header from Savage's cross into the far corner past the despairing dive of James.

At least that meant the game could not go to penalties yet Villa, who threw on Ian Taylor - who had been out injured - with 30 minutes to go, knew that an away goal would give them the upper hand.

And, with 14 minutes left, Flowers was finally called into meaningful action. First he dived full length to tip Steve Stone's measured shot around the post and then he saved Julian Joachim's close-range header.

And that was it - apart from a scuffle between Southgate and Heskey in the final minutes and a crunching tackle by Taylor on Oakes as Leicester held up the ball near the corner flag.

The East Midlands side had reached the League Cup final for the third time in four seasons and they fully deserved it.

Leicester: Flowers, Savage, Sinclair, Gilchrist, Taggart, Guppy (Impey 73), Lennon (Zagorakis 85), Izzet (Campbell 85), Oakes, Elliott, Heskey. Subs Not Used: Walsh, Arphexad. Booked: Taggart. Goals: Elliott 45.

Aston Villa: James, Watson (Delaney 37), Southgate, Ehiogu, Barry, Wright, Boateng, Merson, Stone, Joachim, Walker (Taylor 60), Delaney (Hendrie 82). Subs Not Used: Cutler, Calderwood.

Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).