Haley headed for the 'Idol' finale?

Maybe they should have run the night in reverse.

Because while Haley Reinhart dominated the first round on Wednesday's “American Idol,” her last performance was by far her weakest.

The Wheeling native's take on Led Zeppelin's “What is and What Should Never Be” goes down as the performance of Top 3 night.

The tune was Reinhart's personal pick and it was a brave choice, one that even guest mentor Beyoncé acknowledged.

But everything came together perfectly and by the time it was over, the judges were on their feet.

The best part? Reinhart's dad Harry, an amazing guitarist in his own right, came out to riff with her.

Even though Reinhart stumbled mid-song, she seemed unfazed by the fall, simply getting back up and soldiering on.

“This is what it's all about!” Randy Jackson said. “This girl is slaying it! ... You chose a song that's not for the weak of heart.”

Judges agreed Reinhart won the round, “hands down.”

She also came back strong on her second song. Producer Jimmy Iovine's pick of Fleetwood Mac's “Rhiannon” suited her bluesy voice perfectly.

“From the minute I met you, I felt you should sing a Stevie Nicks song,” Iovine said. Reinhart admitted a personal connection to the music, saying her mom, Patti, has been singing Nicks' songs for years.

Reinhart's choice to take “Rhiannon” in a haunting direction sent the melody soaring and made it tough to remember she's only 20. Of course, this is a woman who cut her teeth on Beatles records.

Again, the judges had nothing but praise.

“It was a really beautiful moment,” Jennifer Lopez said. “And you looked really beautiful on camera. ... It was a nice contrast to what you did earlier.”

At that point, Reinhart fans were probably feeling confident they'd see a local singer in the “Idol” finale for the second year in a row.

But she stumbled.

Closing the night with judge's selection of Alanis Morissette's “You Oughta Know,” Reinhart was sloppy in the verses and shouty in the chorus.

She dropped words at the end of the first verse and although she rallied to deliver a knockout note , it was a rocky way to finish out the night.

Both Jackson and Lopez noted her problems with the verses, but judge Steven Tyler felt Reinhart won.

Figure country crooner Scotty McCreery to be a lock for next Tuesday night's finale. It'll come down to a tight fight between Reinhart and Lauren Alaina, a producer favorite who had a strong night in her own right.

“It's not about how many times you fall, it's about how many times you get up,” Tyler said after Reinhart's first performance and indeed it's been an up-and-down season for Reinhart who's had as many missteps as triumphs.

Can she come back one last time to challenge McCreery for the “Idol” title next week?

The top two will be revealed tonight, starting at 7 on Fox.

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