Blackboard Rovers 0 Aston Villa1:ASTON VILLA have one foot in the League Cup final after comfortably beating Blackburn Rovers in the semi-final first leg. Notoriously poor travellers this season, Sam Allardyce's team appear short of form and confidence, and the only matter of regret for Villa is that they might have won by more than the solitary James Milner goal and made next week's second leg a mere formality.
Villa could have been two or three up by half-time, yet ended up clinging on to their slender advantage as Blackburn belatedly showed some spirit.
The bad news for Blackburn is that Monday’s limp display at Manchester City was not an aberration or a case of saving their energy for the League Cup. That is apparently the best they can currently muster, and they repeated the performance here in a competition Sam Allardyce has described as their only chance of glory.
Blackburn began aggressively enough, with David Dunn almost opening the scoring after four minutes with a shot on the turn from the edge of the penalty area, though gradually they were pushed back by the accuracy of Villa’s passing and the visitors began to create the greater number of opportunities.
Gabriel Agbonlahor shot weakly at Paul Robinson midway through the half before Villa opened up Blackburn with a classic counter-attack. In truth, the home side left themselves wide open, sending too many men forward for a free-kick and having no one at home when Villa carried the ball strongly upfield from their own area.
James Milner ran half the length of the pitch without anyone even attempting to confront him, laying the ball off to the supporting Stewart Downing at the last moment then gliding into the Blackburn area to apply the faintest of touches to divert the return pass past Robinson.
At least Blackburn stirred themselves to try and hit back. Niko Kalinic struck an upright when he was surprisingly allowed a free header from Pedersen’s cross.
The home side’s best chance of all came midway through the second half when Pascal Chimbonda crossed from the right and Kalinic struck a fierce shot, only to see it rebound from the same upright.
It was not turning out to be Blackburn’s night though they were not as bad in the second half and there were just a few positives from the second period to take to Villa Park.
Guardian Service
BLACKBURN:Robinson, Jacobsen (Olsson 46), Samba, Nelsen, Chimbonda, Salgado (Reid 71), Emerton, Nzonzi, Pedersen (McCarthy 75), Dunn, Kalinic. Subs not used: Brown, Hoilett, Di Santo, Jones. Booked: McCarthy.
ASTON VILLA:Guzan, Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Ashley Young, Milner, Petrov, Downing, Heskey (Sidwell 71), Agbonlahor. Subs not used: Friedel, Luke Young, Carew, Delph, Reo-Coker, Beye. Booked: Agbonlahor. .
Referee:Mark Clattenburg (Tyne Wear).
