Aston Villa 2 Liverpool 1- FA Cup semi-final match report

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Captain Fabian Delph got the winner as Villa produced a stunning comeback to beat Liverpool and reach the FA Cup final.more

The Reds had gone in front when Phillipe Coutinho fired home after half-an-hour at Wembley.

But Christian Benteke drew Villa level when he finished an excellent move and Delph then put them ahead after the break.

The claret and blues survived a few scares on their way to a deserved win, as they reached the FA Cup final for only the second time in 58 years.

Tim Sherwood's side were excellent as they produced a performance full of verve, scoring two superb goals to clinch a win.

With more composure, the winning margin might have been more as below par Liverpool foundered at times.

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Villa were without Gabriel Agbonlahor after the striker failed to recover in time from the hamstring injury sustained at Spurs last week. Charles N'Zogbia replaced him in attack while Nathan Baker started in defence in place of the injured Ciaran Clark.

Ashley Westwood came in for the suspended Carlos Sanchez in Villa's other change.

For Liverpool, Steven Gerrard returned in his first game back after a three game suspension.

Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson sent shots wide of the target early on before N'Zogbia brought the first save of the game from Simon Mignolet, the Reds keeper touching his left-footed effort over the bar.

Villa were on top and N'Zogbia then should have sent Benteke through on goal but his sloppy pass was cut out by Emre Can.

The claret and blues suffered a blow when Baker was forced to come off after just 26 minutes, to be replaced by Jores Okore.

And it was the latter who was at fault for Liverpool's opener, as he was among a host of players who failed to clear, allowing Coutinho to race in and finish past Given.

But the lead lasted just six minutes as Villa levelled in style. Jack Grealish played in Delph and his cross was turned home first time by Benteke, with Mignolet getting only the slightest of touches.

It was Villa's first goal in an FA Cup semi-final since 1957 and celebrated as such.

Roared on by 32,000 claret and blue supporters Sherwood's side pushed forward again, though Liverpool remained a threat on the counter. Coutinho saw a shot deflected over by Westwood, while Dejan Lovren headed Gerrard's resulting corner wide of the post.

Villa began the second half on the front foot and N'Zogbia firing over from a good position after fine work by the impressive Grealish found him in space.

Gerrard drilled over at the other end, before Lovren's intervention took the sting out of a Benteke shot from the edge of the box.

Nine minutes into the second half, Villa were ahead thanks to another superbly worked goal.

Delph broke from midfield and fed Benteke, whose first-time backheel found Grealish. The youngster instead rolled the ball into the path of the advancing Villa skipper, who with his first touch cut inside before sending his finish under Mignolet.

Kieran Richardson should have increased the lead on the hour but fired over from the edge of the box after more great work between Benteke and Grealish.

A poor ball from Leandro Bacuna then allowed Alberto Moreno to get back and clear just as it looked like Benteke would be clean through.

At the other end, Okore cut out a Raheem Sterling cross destined for the unmarked Mario Balotelli.

With ten minutes remaining, Liverpool won a free-kick 25 yards out but Gerrard struck it straight at Given.

The Liverpool skipper saw a header from a Coutinho corner nodded off the line, before Balotelli had the ball in the net only to see it ruled out by a questionable offside flag.

Balotelli also headed over in stoppage time but it was Villa's day - and deservedly so.

Teams:

Villa (4-4-1-1): Given, Bacuna, Baker (Okore 26), Vlaar, Richardson, Westwood, Delph (c), Cleverley, Grealish (Cole 83), N'Zogbia, Benteke Subs not used: Weimann, Lowton, Gil, Guzan (gk).

Goals Benteke 36, Delph 54.

Liverpool (3-4-2-1) Mignolet, Can, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno, Allen (Johnson 78), Henderson, Markovic (Balotelli HT) Gerrard, Coutinho, Sterling Subs not used: Toure, Lambert, Manquillo, Borini, Jones (gk).

Goal: Coutinho 30.