Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill hailed his hat-trick hero John Carew after their FA Cup win over Reading.

Carew helped Villa fight back to win 4-2 yesterday.

O'Neill told Villa's website: "I've said before John at his hungriest can perform like that.

"He got the equalising goal for us and his game lifted two or three fold - maybe even more.

"The goal gave him that sort of confidence and the next thing you know, he is controlling and holding players off which he wasn't doing in the first-half."