Scholes double sinks Aston Villa
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Scholes ended Aston Villa's FA Cup dreams with his clinical finishing.
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BIRMINGHAM, England -- Paul Scholes scored twice in five minutes as Manchester United came from behind to beat Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park on Sunday to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The 29-year-old netted in the 64 and 68th minutes, both set up by Ryan Giggs, after Villa had gone ahead in the first half through a deflected effort by Gareth Barry.
Villa dominated early on with Tim Howard forced to save superbly from Juan Pablo Angel and Darius Vassell.
Alex Ferguson had waited 10 minutes into the second-half to introduce captain Roy Keane and Ruud van Nistelrooy as the United attack in the shape of Uruguayan Diego Forlan failed to really trouble the Villa defence apart from a brief flurry in the first-half.
The move paid off as Scholes struck first in the 64th minute when the Villa defence went missing leaving both the England attacking midfielder and van Nistelrooy unmarked in the penalty area but it was Scholes who tapped in Ryan Giggs's pass.
Four minutes later Scholes was on the mark again as he nipped in at the near post to rattle home Giggs's cross.
Barry struck 20 minutes into the first-half as Villa's early pressure got its deserved reward - his shot took a deflection off Wes Brown, who was making his first appearance since suffering a knee injury last May, and dribbled past Howard.
Howard had been at his best 12 minutes earlier denying first Vassell with his legs and then in-form Colombian striker Angel also with his legs but after the goal it was United who turned on the pressure peppering Villa's goal.
First Ireland defender John O'Shea saw his header tipped onto the bar by a brilliant reflex save from Thomas Sorensen come back off the bar and then Mikael Silvestre's shot was blocked on the line by Jlloyd Samuel.
