Aston Villa’s run in the Premier League Cup was ended at the quarter-final stage by Tottenham Hotspur.
Yago Santiago gave the visitors a lead their first-half dominance warranted when he tapped home after 25 minutes.
It was a different story after the break as the Young Lions bossed the contest, equalising through Kadan Young less than two minutes into the second half.
Both sides missed great chances to go ahead before Jamie Donley popped up with the winner nine minutes from time.
And in stoppage time, Will Lankshear thumped home a third to make sure of the away side's victory.
Villa hit six goals in their Round of 16 win against Blackburn Rovers and they were on the front foot from the off, with Kobei Moore seeing a goal ruled out inside the first minute.
Tottenham, who sit top of Premier League 2, proceeded to dominate possession for the next 20 minutes without truly threatening the home side’s goal.
But that all changed when the away side cut through Villa’s backline, with Santiago following up to score after Lankshear’s shot was saved by James Wright.
A strong response was mounted by the hosts, who came agonisingly close to a leveller when Travis Patterson headed Young’s cross narrowly over the bar.
Spurs reasserted their territorial superiority to end the half and were only denied a second by a superb block from Triston Rowe.
The dynamic of the game shifted immediately at the start of the second half as Villa raced out of the blocks and equalised via Young.
An exquisite through ball from Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba set the winger racing in behind the defence and he slammed a shot past Luca Gunter to level the scores.
The hosts enjoyed their best spell of then game in the aftermath of the goal but were served notice of Tottenham’s threat when Lankshear flicked a header onto the far post.
Golden chances for both sides were spurned within a minute of each other when Lankshear fired over with only Wright to beat and Todd Alcock’s placed shot was tipped around the post by Gunter.
As the match ticked into the final ten minutes, Spurs regained the lead when Donley tapped home at the near post from Jude Soonsup-Bell’s cross.
Wright kept Villa’s hopes alive with a fine save from Lankshear before substitute Chisom Afoka nearly netted with a floated cross that landed just past the far post.
It was the closest the home side would come to another leveller, with Lankshear adding a third in stoppage time as they exited the competition.
Aston Villa: Wright, Rowe, Patterson, Katsukunya, Bogarde, Borland, Young (Afoka), Alcock (Munroe), Moore, Pierre (Wilson), Jimoh-Aloba (Lutz).
Unused subs: Emery.
