PATRICK BAMFORD doesn’t have particularly fond memories of playing at Wembley in a Middlesbrough shirt, but the striker is clearly determined to set up a return visit to the national stadium in this season’s Carabao Cup.

The sight of a half-fit Bamford limping around during 2015’s play-off final is one of the indelible images from Boro’s Wembley no-show against Norwich, and despite having re-joined the Teessiders in January, the 24-year-old has not had too many opportunities to start repairing his reputation.

He took his chance last night though, scoring twice and also hitting the crossbar as Boro cruised into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup for the second time in the last three seasons.

His opener came from the penalty spot after he lured Tommy Elphick into a clumsy challenge that resulted in the Villa defender’s dismissal, and his second saw him peel away at the back post to head home Marcus Tavernier’s cross.

The goals were a fitting reward for a bright, industrious display that saw Bamford stake a compelling claim for an extended run in Garry Monk’s first team. Britt Assombalonga’s form might make that unlikely in the short term, but Bamford could not have done much more to remind his manager of his talents.

The strength of Monk’s squad means he was able to make ten changes for last night’s game and still field a side that would have been the envy of most Championship managers. When you’re bringing in the likes of Daniel Ayala, George Friend, Adam Forshaw and Jonny Howson, not to mention Bamford, you’re not exactly weakening your chances of success.

That said, there were a couple of interesting names on the team sheet, with Tavernier making his second senior start after impressing in the second-round win over Scunthorpe United and Lewis Wing stepping up for his first-team debut almost a year to the day since he was scoring for Shildon in a 3-0 win over West Allotment Celtic. From Dean Street to Villa Park in the space of 12 months. Jamie Vardy doesn’t have a monopoly over footballing fairy stories.

Wing did not look out of place at all at this level, dropping off intelligently to seek out possession and laying off a series of neat balls to those around. He provided an excellent ball to set up Bamford’s opener, and was just about the best player on the pitch before he was taken off shortly after the hour mark.

He was unable to add to the two goals he has scored for the Under-23s this season, but this was a night when Bamford was the player offering the goal threat.

The Boro striker had the ball in the net inside the opening four minutes, but his effort was rightly ruled out for offside. Elphick also had an early header overruled by a linesman’s flag, but the rest of the first half was a sedate affair, with the lack of urgency perhaps a reflection of the swathes of empty seats scattered around Villa Park. Seven days on from the goalless Championship meeting between these two sides, the Carabao Cup had not exactly captured the imagination.

At least Boro made it to the fifth minute with 11 players on the field on this occasion, but while they just about shaded the first-half action in terms of threats on goal, they were indebted to skipper Ben Gibson for keeping the scoresheet blank.

Gibson was the only player to retain his place from the side that started Saturday’s win over QPR, and was forced to produce three important tackles and blocks in the space of three first-half minutes as Boro threatened to be their own worst enemies.

Some slack marking in the area meant Gibson had to throw himself in front of shots from Joshua Onomah and Callum O’Hare, and a dreadful clearance from Dimi Konstantopoulos threatened to afford Scott Hogan a clear run on goal before Boro’s skipper nicked the ball away with a perfectly-timed challenge.

Boro’s attacking play had been fairly limited to that stage, with neither Howson nor Forshaw establishing control of the central area, but when the visitors finally clicked into gear midway through the first half, only the woodwork prevented them from making a breakthrough.

Wing set Connor Roberts away down the right-hand side, and when the full-back stood up an inviting cross, an onrushing Bamford powered a close-range header against the crossbar. It was an excellent chance, but Bamford didn’t do a lot wrong as his desire and timing took him past two Villa defenders to meet the ball.

Villa goalkeeper Jed Steer was called into action for the first time shortly after, parrying Forshaw’s long-range effort to Tavernier, who lashed the rebound well wide, but chances remained at a premium for the second week in a row.

Both sides were desperate for a spark of inspiration, and Wing and Bamford combined to produce it 13 minutes after the break.

Wing had been producing searching passes all night, and the 22-year-old fashioned a perfectly-weighted ball to release Bamford into the area. His run was halted by an ugly challenge from Elphick, who picked up a second booking to go along with the one he had already been issued in the first half and duly became the third player to be dismissed in the two games between the sides.

Bamford dusted himself down to take the spot-kick, and calmly chipped his first goal of the season past Steer. Nine minutes later, and he was celebrating his second.

This time it was the other youngster, Tavernier, who was the provider, with the winger swinging over an inviting cross from the left. Having peeled away from his marker at the back post, Bamford angled an excellent header into the far corner of the goal.

Dimi Konstantopoulos got down well to keep out a late strike from Jake Doyle-Hayes, but Villa’s ten men never looked like getting back into the game and Boro almost added another goal when Tavernier’s 89th-minute header hit the underside of the crossbar but failed to cross the line.