As the half-naked Rapid Vienna fans celebrated, Villa were stripped of their European dream.

The travelling fans twirled their shirts around their heads as dejected home players slumped off in the realisation there would be no continental adventure this season.

A year which started with talk of the Champions League will end with no famous European nights at Villa Park, after they were out thought by the well-drilled visitors.

James Milner’s first half penalty – minutes after Ashley Young had missed his from the spot – and John Carew’s 52nd minute goal looked to have put Villa into the group stages of the Europa League.

But Nikica Jelavic’s 76th minute effort caught them cold and it is Rapid who progress on away goals after the tie ended 2-2 on aggregate.

Injury was added to insult when Curtis Davies suffered a recurrence of his shoulder problem late on and could face a spell on the sidelines.

There are no second chances this time and Martin O’Neill’s side have the hard slog of a Premier League campaign to ensure they qualify for Europe again.

A tall order if Tottenham maintain their resurgence and Manchester City’s megabucks enable them to squeeze into the European spots.

But that is in the future, on to last night. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg Villa were, to begin with, cagey.

Aside from crosses from Milner and Young, both of which evaded Emile Heskey, the first 15 minutes failed to provide the barnstorming start Villa Park wanted or expected.

It was tentative from the hosts, well aware an early slip could see their European dreams extinguished before they had begun.

Vienna were afforded plenty of possession, but the back-line held firm as the home side began to come to life.

And Villa were handed a golden chance to level the tie through Young on 31 minutes. He was fouled by Andreas Dober but the advantage was played and he skipped into the area only to be felled by Markus Heikkinen.

Fresh from Monday’s spot-kick success at Anfield, Young stepped up but his low effort was easily saved by goalkeeper Helge Payer.

It was quickly turning into one of those nights for the hosts, but seven minutes later Young atoned for his error.

The winger steamed into the box only to be clumsily upended by Dober and this time Milner showed him how to do it from the spot.

The tie was back on level terms, but Villa could have been behind on aggregate just 90 seconds later.

Steffen Hofmann found space in the area and his low effort beat goalkeeper Brad Guzan, only to be headed off the line by defender Carlos Cuellar.

Carew saw an instinctive backheel roll wide,but he didn’t have to wait long to extend Villa’s lead.

Milner’s perfect pass saw the Norwegian breaking down the right. He still had plenty to do but cut past Ragnvald Soma before rolling inside Payer’s near post.

It should have calmed any lingering nerves, but Jelavic’s disallowed goal for a push on Guzan only intensified the fears around the ground.

Milner found the side netting from seven yards after Young’s effort was parried into his path, but that was topped by Jelavic’s extraordinary miss 15 minutes from time.

Wolves target Stefan Maierhofer wriggled clear and his effort was saved by Guzan, with the unmarked Jelavic somehow stabbing wide from three yards.

It was a huge let off for Villa but one they didn’t heed, as 60 seconds later Markus Kazter forced a save from Guzan and Jelavic didn’t miss the rebound this time.

Villa rallied as Payer turned away Fabian Delph’s 25-yarder and Heskey hooked over but the tie was slipping away.

Jelavic could have wrapped it up five minutes from time, but he comically missed his kick before teeing up Hofmann who blazed over.

Then the Vienna faithful were stripped and ready for action – their naked ambition a mere pipe-dream for Villa.

By Nick Mashiter