By Dan Harrison

Villa's hopes of Champions League qualification were dashed by fellow top-four hopefuls Manchester City.

John Carew gave the visitors an early advantage in the clash Martin O'Neill billed as a must-win.

The lead was overturned late in the first-half by Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adeybayor, before Craig Bellamy struck a killer third goal in the final minute.

The travelling supporters - many clad in fancy dress attire - experienced the full range of emotions in a breathless opening 45 minutes of their final road trip of the season.

First came the ecstasy of Carew's strike. Then there was a mood of buoyancy as Villa repelled Man City's attacks.

But minutes before the half-time whistle, disbelief set in as a hard-fought lead quickly evaporated.

It was Bellamy who came closest to drawing first blood - Brad Friedel tipping away the Welshman's shot, which looped towards goal via a deflection off Carlos Cuellar.

However, the claret and blue road warriors quickly demonstrated why they arrived at Eastlands with the top flight's second best away record.

In the build-up to this top-four battle, much had been made of City's controversial emergency loan swoop for goalkeeper Marton Fullop from Sunderland.

The debutant was thrust straight into the action though, despite his best efforts, he couldn't keep out Carew's stinging 16th minute effort.

An intelligent run across the box by Carew allowed him enough time to dispatch Stewart Downing's through ball.

While the hosts proceeded to dictate possession, Villa offered a firm response to their attacks and, themselves, looked dangerous on the counter-attack.

Downing came closest to grabbing a second, drilling a first-time effort wide across goal from Agbonlahor's neat lay-off.

Then came a tale of two penalty shouts. First, referee Mark Clattenburg correctly waved away appeals for handball against Stephen Warnock as the full-back slid across to block a Tevez shot.

But the outcome was different four minutes before the interval when Warnock clipped Adam Johnson, as the winger made his way into the penalty area. Tevez levelled things up by rifling the spot-kick low past Friedel.

It signalled the game's most frantic spell. Almost immediately, Carew crashed an effort off the bar after cleverly holding off Vincent Kompany.

Then within seconds, before the capacity crowd had time to regain breath, the ball was in the Villa net for a second time.

Adeybayor delivered the sucker punch, applying a simple tap-in from Johnson's cut-back.

It would take a monumental effort for the claret and blues to overhaul City but there was no lack of commitment from O'Neill's troops after the break.

Fulop tipped behind Ashley Young's teasing ball which seemed destined for the top corner, and the keeper later read Milner's curling shot well.

Bellamy forced Friedel into a fine two-handed block as the home side looked to spring the counter-attack.

It was Alamo time for Villa, with the manager sending strikers Nathan Delfouneso and Emile Heskey on in the last 20 minutes.

The former came closest, positioning himself well for Young's right-wing cross which was just too high.

In the last minute of normal time, Bellamy put the result beyond doubt, curling high past Friedel after a mazy run from substitute Sean Wright-Phillips.