Aston Villa 3 Sheffield United 0:Sheffield United's battle for Premiership survival will go down to the wire after they were comprehensively dismantled by an in-form Aston Villa.

Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and Patrik Berger rattled home the goals that ensured manager Martin O'Neill's side won their final Villa Park game of the season with ease.

As for the Blades, their season now hinges on a last-day showdown at Bramall Lane with relegation rivals Wigan.

After results earlier in the day, though, Warnock went into the game knowing a win would guarantee survival and so end the agony.

But as Warnock has often stated in recent weeks, his beloved club know how to do things the hard way, and unsurprisingly that is again the case this season.

In many respects it was perhaps asking too much of United to win this match as history and facts were against them.

Not since 1966 have United won at Villa Park, a run of 11 results that now includes nine defeats and two draws.

This latest loss means the Yorkshire club also end their away campaign in the top flight this season without a victory since December at Wigan, that run including nine defeats and one draw.

Ironically, it is against the Latics that United bring the curtain down on their campaign in what has now become a crucial showdown.

Defeat in tandem with other results will see United relegated, yet it is the Blades' home form that has kept the flames of hope flickering these past few weeks and months.

Galvanised by passionate support, the Blades have conjured a fine 17 points from the last 24 on offer at home.

It seems inconceivable they could lose to a freefalling Wigan side who have won just three points from their last eight matches to plunge into the bottom three for the first time this season.

However, stranger things have happened, especially when nerves play their part as they did in this game.

Warnock's players were never out of the blocks at a sell-out Villa Park where the fans were pumped up, roused as they were by a parade before kick-off of the European Cup-winning team of 1982 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in Rotterdam.

O'Neill's side is a long way removed from such trailblazers, but the signs are there that the club could at least push for a top-six finish next season to secure European football.

This was Villa's eighth match without defeat, and if they avoid a loss at Bolton next Sunday they will end the term as they started it with a nine-game unbeaten run.

This, though, was a stroll as John Carew, Agbonlahor and Craig Gardner all enjoyed chances before the second of that trio opened the scoring in the 25th minute.

It was a superb finish from Agbonlahor who held off the challenge of Matt Kilgallon from a Wilfred Bouma throw before rifling a 16-yard angled drive beyond Paddy Kenny into the top left-hand corner.

One of Agbonlahor, captain Gareth Barry or Gardner should have made it 2-0 in 33rd minute, but the three chances in a matter of seconds were all squandered.

It mattered little as Villa were so on top their second before the interval came as no surprise, other than perhaps who scored it.

From a clearance by Thomas Sorensen, Agbonlahor and Carew teed up Young for his first goal since his debut on January 31 following his #9.65million move from Watford with a drive through Kenny's legs.

Warnock's woes continued on the stroke of half-time with the loss of Chris Armstrong with what appeared to be a broken right arm or collarbone before defeat was confirmed on the hour.

The United defence was comfortably scythed open, culminating in a one-two between Carew and Berger, with the latter beating Kenny from 12 yards for his third goal in his last five games.

Discord then reared its head in the United ranks when Kenny threw the ball into the back of Kilgallon following another defensive mix-up, earning a booking.

Kenny at least redeemed himself with a sterling save from Gardner in the 78th minute, following which he and Kilgallon shook hands and patted one another on the back.

But after a game in which United failed to once test Sorensen, they will need to show greater unity next week if they are to escape the drop.