Football: Lessons to learn in Reds collapse.

MARTIN O'Neill believes his Villa youngsters can go from strength to strength if they heed the lessons of their dramatic collapse against Manchester United.

Villa more than matched the Premier League champions for more than half-an-hour, but discovered to their cost just how ruthless the top sides can be.

Two goals from Wayne Rooney and a scrambled effort by Rio Ferdinand turned the game on its head in a frantic nine-minute spell before the break.

And Villa were already out for the count long before Scott Carson and Nigel Reo-Coker received their marching orders and Ryan Giggs completed the scoring.

O'Neill said: "I'm sure these young players learn something from experiences like that.

"Manchester United gave us an object lesson in the ability to play and take the occasional chance defensively, knowing if they're capable of dealing with that, then they're capable of scoring.

"It was a flat dressing room afterwards because we were really disappointed - it was a game that slipped away from us. We were really bright for the first half-hour. We got in front and it could have been two.

"We should have had a penalty as well because Gabby was fouled - I think Rio Ferdinand crossed his path and caught him on the foot.

"But Reo-Coker's sending-off was ridiculous. He was trying to win the ball."