Villa reach FA Cup semi-finals but pitch invasions sour win

Aston Villa have reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup after beating their neighbours West Bromwich Albion 2-0 at Villa Park, but the victory was overshadowed by two pitch invasions by Villa fans.

Second-half goals from Fabian Delph and Scott Sinclair settled the quarter-final on 7 March, sending Villa to Wembley for the first time since 2010.

The match

After a goalless first half, Villa captain Delph gave his side the lead on 51 minutes with a powerful left-footed shot. West Brom were reduced to ten men with ten minutes left, when Claudio Yacob was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Leandro Bacuna.

Sinclair made sure of the win late on. Villa substitute Jack Grealish was also sent off in the closing stages.

Chaos at the final whistle

Play was held up in stoppage time when large numbers of home supporters spilled out of the stands, and the final whistle brought chaotic scenes as thousands of fans ran on to the pitch to celebrate with the players.

Delph said he had been bitten in the melee, and that his captain's armband and one of his boots had been taken. He described the experience as "very, very scary".

Villa have apologised to West Brom, and the Football Association is expected to investigate.

Sherwood's revival

The win is the latest sign of revival under Tim Sherwood, who was appointed manager last month after Paul Lambert was sacked with the club in the relegation zone. After losing his first two league games, Sherwood won his first match in charge at Villa Park on Tuesday, beating West Brom 2-1 in the Premier League with a last-minute Christian Benteke penalty.

Now his side have beaten the same opponents again to reach the last four of the oldest cup competition in the world.

A proud cup history

Villa have won the FA Cup seven times, most recently in 1957, when they beat Manchester United 2-1 in the final. Their last appearance in the final came in 2000, when they lost 1-0 to Chelsea in the last final at the old Wembley.

The semi-finals will be played at the new Wembley next month.

The local rivalry

Villa and West Brom, whose grounds are only a few miles apart, have a long rivalry that goes back to the early years of the Football League, and the two clubs met in three FA Cup finals in the 1880s and 1890s.

For supporters, beating their neighbours twice in five days, and reaching Wembley in the process, has lifted spirits in what had been a gloomy season. But the club will be keen to make sure that the scenes at the end of the game are not repeated, with the threat of punishment from the FA hanging over the celebrations.