Barry steers Villa through

The England midfielder converted a 72nd-minute penalty to celebrate the landmark after the Bulgarian Cup holders were reduced to nine men at the Gradski Stadion.

Nigel Reo-Coker scored for the second successive game to haul Martin O'Neill's side level on the stroke of half-time after a gaffe from goalkeeper Uros Golubovic, and Bulgaria international Stiliyan Petrov turned home in injury time to put Villa in control of the UEFA Cup contest.

Golubovic's mistake altered the shape of the contest and red cards for Cedric Cambon and Mihail Venkov in the second period further enhanced Villa's position in the tie.

Litex's Brazilian-influenced midfield dictated the opening period, however, and they might have added to Bulgaria international Ivelin Popov's curling free-kick which opened the scoring in the 10th minute.

It was a disastrous beginning to the midlands club's first foray into Europe for seven years as Reo-Coker was adjudged to have bundled over Sandrinho on the right-hand edge of the Aston Villa area. Captain Popov stepped up and curled the free-kick around a posse of bodies and into the far corner, to leave goalkeeper Brad Friedel motionless.

But the game swung as Reo-Coker capitalised on Golubovic's moment of madness to sidefoot in.

In the second period, centre-back Cambon's heavy challenge was punished with a 63rd-minute card and five minutes later another one reduced Litex to 10 men. Gabriel Agbonlahor's pace exposed Cambon down Litex's right side and as the Villa forward pressed the accelerator, his opponent chose to haul him down in a rugby tackle.

Litex's self destruction was completed in the 70th minute when, after giving the ball away cheaply in their own half, they had a second player dismissed. James Milner seized on the chance to chip into the area and after Agbonlahor's flick-on, full-back Venkov punched the ball off the line. Barry's aim was true from 12 yards and Villa completed their turnaround.

Villa took further advantage of their numerical advantage when a flowing move put Petrov in on goal in injury time and although Golubovic saved his first attempt, he rolled in at the second attempt.