Aston Villa 0 Leicester City 1: Foxes embarrass O'Neill on reunion night

Martin O'Neill enjoyed five fruitful years in charge of Leicester City, including twice winning the League Cup, but last night's reunion with his former club proved far less rewarding as his Aston Villa side were embarrassingly shunted out of the Carling Cup by Matt Fryatt's breakaway goal.

Fryatt settled the issue with a shot from a narrow angle with 16 minutes remaining to send his side into the fourth round.

It was a timely lift for the new Leicester manager, Gary Megson, who recently replaced the popular Martin Allen. For Villa, the defeat marked a dramatic change in fortunes; it is barely three weeks since they were beating the might of Chelsea 2-0 in the Premier League.

O'Neill made six changes from the side which defeated Manchester City at the weekend although they still fielded a starting XI which should have been strong enough to overcome a side lying 21st in the Championship. But they seldom looked like breaking down a sturdy Leicester defence in which centre-backs Bruno N'Gotty and Gareth McAuley were outstanding.

Villa were put under early pressure with goalkeeper Stuart Taylor, in for the rested Scott Carson, punching away a corner from Joe Mattock at full stretch. Patrick Kisnorbo was then frustrated to head wide from a Mattock corner and Mattock casued more set-piece problems setting up Iain Hume who could only head wide.

Villa retaliated and Mattock made a vital block to keep out a drive from Gabriel Agbonlahor after Gareth Barry's free-kick was only half cleared. Marton Fulop, in the City goal, then got his fingertips to a powerful drive from Shaun Maloney. McAuley then blocked a Curtis Davies header from Barry's inswinging centre.

Marlon Harewood, given a rare outing, showed his pace in bursting clear of the Leicester defence to reach the byline but Stiliyan Petrov slipped over after running into the box to meet the low centre.

Villa made a positive start to the second period and Leicester were indebted to a fine save from Fulop for keeping them on level terms. Another vicious Barry free-kick picked out Harewood whose close-range header was parried away by Fulop.

It was a rare moment of danger before Leicester made their first substitution, bringing on former Birmingham City striker DJ Campbell in place of Hume to predictable boos from the Villa fans. But the Villa faithful had little to say with 16 minutes left when Leicester scored. James Chambers played the ball into Fryatt on the left of the Villa box and he squeezed his low shot past Taylor into the far corner of the net.

Maloney came closest to snatching an equaliser with a shot turned around the post by Fulop.

Aston Villa (3-5-2): Taylor; Mellberg, Davies (Berger, 80), Knight; Barry, Petrov, Osbourne (Young 71), Reo-Coker, Maloney; Harewood (Moore, 77), Agbonlahor. Substitutes not used: Carson (gk), Gardner.

Leicester City (3-5-2): Fulop; N'Gotty, McAuley, Kisnorbo; Chambers, Clemence, Kishishev (Maybury, 67), Stearman, Mattock; Hume (Campbell, 63), Fryatt (Kenton, 82).Substitutes not used: Henderson, Sheehan.

Referee: L Mason (Lancs).