O'Neill delighted to progress

Villa boss admits side underperformed in second leg

Last updated: 28th August 2008

O'Neill delighted to progress

O'Neill: Pleased to be advance

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Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill was 'delighted' to reach the first round of the Uefa Cup on Thursday evening.

Villa defeated FH Hafnarfjordur 5-2 on aggregate after they claimed a 1-1 draw in the second leg at Villa Park with Craig Gardner on target for the home side.

O'Neill conceded his much-hanged XI failed to fire on all cylinders against the Icelandic outfit, but is now looking to the next round after progressing.

He told the club's official website: "Overall what matters is that we've got through. I was hoping that perhaps we'd play better, pick up the tempo and be a wee bit stronger.

Performance

"It was pretty comfortable but the second-half sort of faded into nothing.

"I'm delighted to be in the hat for the first round. I know we were expected to win as the Premier League side but if you'd said to me before the Icelandic game that we'd go through, I would have been very pleased.

"I was delighted with the goals that we scored over there and perhaps that maybe took a little bit of edge off tonight.

"Overall I would have wanted us to play much, much better, considering the crowd that turned up in great numbers tonight for a tie that was effectively over."