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

Amid all of the sniping aimed at Filbert Street recently, boss Martin O'Neill had asked for his team to be properly judged when his crop of injured players finally returned to the side.

And with those star names now 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.

After securing a goalless draw in the first leg at Villa Park, they took the return fixture to Villa and clinched their place at Wembley through emergency centre-forward Matt Elliott's header on the stroke of half-time.

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

In response to Villa boss John Gregory's jibe after the first leg, O'Neill had insisted in his pre-match programme notes that his side would "do their very best to cross the half-way line and win the game before a penalty shoot-out is needed".

And after a slow start, they 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.

And then the former Liverpool keeper, who had earlier dropped a cross but recovered just in time, made another blunder with a mishit clearance only to be rescued by a last-ditch tackle by Ugo Ehiogu on Elliott.

To ironic taunts of "boring, boring Leicester" from the home fans, Heskey had another effort deflected wide, while Izzet also drove off target and then Stefan Oakes blasted a shot against the post.

In contrast, it was Villa - with young striker Richard Walker making his full debut - who were unable to string more than a couple of passes together and piling too many predictable high balls forward.

Wing-back Steve Watson was even substituted for Mark Delaney after just 36 minutes, storming off looking as mystified as angry, yet it had looked as though the visitors had held on until the interval

That was until Elliott struck in 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 knew that an away goal would give them the upper hand.

A deflected Gareth Southgate shot was the closest that they came though and Ian Taylor - out injured for two games - was thrown on for Walker with 30 minutes left, while Paul Merson moved up front.

It made little immediate difference as Leicester still created the best openings, with James saving Oakes' curling free-kick and a dead-ball effort from Lennon sneaking just past the upright.

But with 14 minutes left, Flowers - who had produced a point-blank reaction save to deny Southgate in the first leg - 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.

"Boring?" O'Neill was asked during the on-pitch celebrations. "Absolutely fantastic," he responded simply - with a huge smile of satisfaction.

Teams

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.

Att: 21,843

Ref: P Durkin (Dorset).