Birmingham, March 30 (IANS) Aston Villa secured their place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a commanding 3-0 victory over Preston North End at Deepdale on Sunday.
A brace by Marcus Rashford, his first scoring outing for the club, and a goal by Jacob Ramsey sealed a dominant second-half performance, propelling Villa to their fifth straight win in all competitions.
The match began with Preston showing early intent, buoyed by the occasion of their first FA Cup quarter-final since 1966. Villa, however, quickly settled into the game, with Rashford testing Preston goalkeeper Dai Cornell with a long-range free-kick. Ramsey was a constant threat to the home side’s defense, driving at them and drawing several fouls, which created further opportunities for Rashford and Lucas Digne, though none were converted.
The best chance of a relatively uneventful first half fell to Preston. After Villa goalkeeper Emi Martínez, captaining the side on his 200th appearance, managed to punch away a cross, Stefan Thordarson headed wide with the goal at his mercy. A goalless first half ended with the score still tied at 0-0.
Villa came out with more urgency after the break, and within ten minutes, Rashford should have broken the deadlock, but Cornell stood firm to deny the striker. However, Villa’s breakthrough came just past the hour mark. Digne delivered a perfect ball for Rashford, who finished clinically from 12 yards to put Villa in front.
The visitors extended their lead shortly after when Rashford converted a penalty, awarded for a foul on Morgan Rogers by Preston’s Andrew Hughes. With a 2-0 advantage, Villa looked in complete control, and Ramsey sealed the win with a stunning solo goal in the 71st minute. After a fine run from Digne’s pass, Ramsey slalomed through Preston’s defense and placed an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner.
Despite some late chances for Ollie Watkins, Villa were content to see out the remainder of the match, as they cruised to a well-deserved 3-0 victory. The win sends Villa to Wembley for the first time in 10 years, where they will face Crystal Palace in the semi-finals next month.
–IANS
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