ASTON VILLA dipped their toes back into the waters of European football last night but their visit to the Baltic in a fortnight's time will be no Scandinavian holiday.

After Villa dominated a game against a methodical but strictly limited Helsingborgs, Peter Wibran gave the Swedish part timers a draw they scarcely deserved with an equaliser 10 minutes from time.

Brian Little may have had a few anxieties in the build up to his managerial debut in Europe. Two seasons ago his predecessor Ron Atkinson was sacked after Villa had been knocked out of the competition by another unfancied side, the Turks of Trabzonspor.

These anxieties increased in the beady minutes when, a harmless looking back pass found Oakes and the Villa goalkeeper's clearance cannoned off the onrushing Powell and only just wide of the post.

Powell was playing a lone role up front for the Swedes, who left last season's top scorer Martin Pringle, about to complete a move to Benfica, on the bench. Villa's reply was a neat move ending with Draper, looking industrious in midfield, thumping a right footed shot from 30 yards against Andersson's crossbar.

Villa breathed easier after 14 minutes, Wright's long cross from the left hand touch line found Draper before Townsend teed the ball back and Johnsson finished's clinically from just inside the visitors' penalty area.

Little's game plan had been to up the tempo of the match in aria attempt to test the fitness of the part timers. Draper and Townsend drove Villa continually forwards, but Powell was always a threat and, again offered a glimpse of the Villa goal, he shot just wide.