Sam Allardyce, brought up down the road in Dudley, saw his Bolton side clinch a place in the Carling Cup final at Villa Park - but only after enduring a nerve jangling night.

It is the first time in nine years the club will contest a major showpiece event and they will go to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on February 29.

Villa managed to reduce the three-goal deficit from the first leg when Thomas Hitzlsperger opened the scoring after nine minutes.

But when they were reduced to 10 men with 52 minutes of play remaining when Gavin McCann was sent off, it proved to be the turning point.

Jlloyd Samuel managed to get a second late on to set up a rousing finale but it was too little too late.

With striker Juan Pablo Angel sidelined with a leg injury, Peter Crouch was given the nod ahead of Marcus Allback and made his first start for Villa this season.

Bolton boss Allardyce made three changes to the team that won the first leg 5-2.

Simon Charlton, Per Frandsen and Ibrahim Ba came in for Anthony Barness, Jay-Jay Okocha and Kevin Nolan.

Villa had the best of the first half and Darius Vassell should have put them ahead on the night and reduced the deficit after three minutes.

He got on the end of a Gareth Barry flick on from a McCann cross but he only managed to find the body of goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen from close range.

Then Vassell cut in after seven minutes only to clip a shot wide of the post.

Bolton were struggling to get going but Youri Djorkaeff broke forward laid the ball back to Frandsen, who sent a shot over the top.

Hitzlsperger made the breakthrough for Villa in the ninth minute after Ivan Campo pushed Crouch whilst contesting a header.

The Germany under-21 midfielder took the free-kick from 20 yards and left Jaaskelainen flat-footed as his sweet effort found the corner.

It was just the start Villa wanted but the goal ironically seemed to make them edgy.

Gareth Barry sent a shot wide after being released by Lee Hendrie and then Crouch made space for himself eight yards out but sent his header over the top.

Barry again found himself unmarked when Samuel played the ball in only to miscue from the edge of the area.

The game took a dramatic turn in the 38th minute when Villa were reduced to 10 men.

McCann challenged Jaaskelainen strongly and then slapped Thome on the face, directly in front of referee Steve Bennett who showed the Villa man a straight red card.

Bolton responded on the counter attack and Nicky Hunt got clear but scuffed his effort wide when Djorkaeff was in a better position.

Peter Whittingham replaced Hendrie in the 47th minute after he suffered a groin strain.

Whittingham had a chance in the 53rd minute but misdirected his effort in front of goal after good work by Crouch.

Thome then released Davies with a glorious ball down the line in the 62nd minute.

He delivered a deep cross but Djorkaeff was unable to get any power or direction on his header.

Play broke down the left and Vassell scampered away only to send a weak shot into the arms of Jaaskelainen.

Bolton were looking a lot more organised in the second half as Villa threw men forward.

Dion Dublin went up with the attack with 20 minutes to go as Villa made a final bid to turn the game around.

Whittingham again got into a good position but again the shot was poor.

Villa fans screamed for a penalty when Bruno N'Gotty clashed with Dublin but referee Bennett would have none of it.

In a sudden breakaway Campo sent Davies clear but his shot finished wide of the far post.

Villa grabbed a second goal two minutes from time when Samuel's effort seemed to spin off Campo and beat Jaaskelainen.

But Bolton held out to clinch a place in a final for the first time since 1995 when they lost to Liverpool in the League Cup final.

Aston Villa (1) 2 Bolton (0) 0

Aston Villa: Sorensen, Delaney, Mellberg, Dublin, Samuel, Hendrie (Whittingham 47), McCann, Hitzlsperger, Barry, Crouch, Vassell.

Subs Not Used: Postma, Allback, Ridgewell, Johnsen.

Sent Off: McCann (40).

Booked: Samuel, Vassell, McCann.

Goals: Hitzlsperger 10, Samuel 88.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, N'Gotty, Thome, Charlton (Barness 68), Giannakopoulos, Frandsen (Javi Moreno 88), Campo, Ba, Davies, Djorkaeff (Pedersen 78).

Subs Not Used: Poole, Vaz Te.

Booked: Thome, Hunt, Davies.

Att: 36,883

Ref: S Bennett (Kent).