Young inspires Villa to new heights

Premier League/Blackburn 0 Aston Villa. 4:Another dazzling display from Ashley Young swept Aston Villa to their fourth consecutive win and few would bet against Martin O'Neill's men challenging for a Champions League place on the evidence of their rout of 10-man Rovers.

John Carew snatched Villa's opener against the run of play in the 29th minute but from that moment on the visitors were in command and when Ryan Nelsen was sent off in the 53rd minute there was only going to be one winner. Nelsen hauled down Young in the box and Gareth Barry swept home the resulting spot-kick before late goals from Young and late substitute Marlon Harewood completed victory.

It was easy to forget Rovers had dominated the first half hour only to be denied by poor finishing and fine saves from Scott Carson before Carew struck. Carson was first called into action in the ninth minute when he parried a David Dunn drive before defender Wilfred Bouma hacked the loose ball clear.

Dunn had the first shot on target in the ninth minute which was parried by Carson before Wilfred Bouma hacked the ball out of the danger zone. Then Santa Cruz burst down the right flank before blazing his shot narrowly over the bar from a tight angle.

David Bentley came closer from a 15th-minute free-kick after Barry had fouled Benni McCarthy 30 yards out. The midfielder's set-piece was heading for the top corner only for Carson to pull off an excellent save. But Rovers still had to be alert with Chris Samba nicking the ball off Agbonlahor's toes in the 28th minute.

And in the 29th minute Blackburn paid for their profligacy when Young was pulled down by Dunn and got up to deliver the perfect set-piece for Carew to head past the onrushing Friedel.

Villa should have increased their lead in the 35th minute. Carew was left unmarked to take Stiliyan Petrov's cross into the box and only a bad first touch stopped what looked like a certain second.

Rovers kicked off the second half in the right frame of mind and were unlucky not to snatch the equaliser through McCarthy, whose crashing volley struck Zat Knight in the 47th minute. Once again the home side were made to pay with Dowd controversially adjudging Nelsen had tugged the shirt of Young in the box, and reducing the home side to 10 men.

Barry's clinical set-piece put the game out of Rovers' reach and incited the home fans, whose mood did not improve when Dowd waved away a loud shout for handball against Bouma five minutes later.

Villa had justifiable claims for a second penalty dismissed by Dowd 12 minutes from time after Young tumbled in the box under pressure from Samba but was simply told to pick himself up. Young responded by sealing Villa's victory two minutes later with a superb finish past Friedel.

Marlon Harewood grabbed the fourth in the final minute.

BLACKBURN:Friedel, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Emerton, Mokoena (Reid 67), Dunn, Bentley (Pedersen 81), Santa Cruz, McCarthy (Roberts 67). Subs Not Used: Brown, Savage. Sent Off: Nelsen (52).

ASTON VILLA:Carson, Mellberg, Knight, Laursen, Bouma, Petrov (Gardner 82), Reo-Coker, Barry, Young, Carew, Agbonlahor (Harewood 85). Subs Not Used: Taylor, Davies, Berger. Booked: Mellberg. Goals: Carew 29, Barry 53 pen, Young 81, Harewood 89.

Referee:Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).