Source: Daily_Mail
Blackburn 2 Aston Villa 0: Morten Gamst Pedersen at the double as Rovers ease past Villains
[LNB]Sam Allardyce was aconcerned man as hereviewed an unjusthome defeat byChelsea at the end oflast month. [LNB]With prospectivenew owners casting an eyeover Blackburn, his teamwere hovering too close tothe relegation zone.[LNB]Three weeks on and the purchaseof the club by the Indian chickenfarmers Venkys is complete. So, itwould appear, is Blackburn'simprovement. [LNB]At the double: Morten Gamst Pedersen celebrates after scoring his second goal of the game [LNB]Three wins from four BarclaysPremier League fixtures since theChelsea game have movedAllardyce's team up the table to11th. In this peculiar season, thingscan change very quickly in theEnglish game's top division. [LNB]Allardyce said: 'The owners haveseen us win for the first time nowand I am very pleased about that.'We got it spot on today. [LNB]'We havewon three games out of four andhave put ourselves in a position topush on up the league. I am excited about that and Iwould hope that the new ownerswould want to move the club forwardsnow. [LNB]In charge: Blackburn's new owners Venkateshwara Rao and his brother Balaji are presented to the Ewood Park crowd [LNB]'They won't have comehere to move backwards. This club has existed under its own steam fortoo long.' [LNB]Blackburn's new owners have notsaid too much on how they intendto act. A story that emerged overnightin India has suggested theymay wish to rename the stadium.Another has suggested Allardycemay not be given too much moneyto spend in the transfer market. [LNB]The Blackburn boss will find theanswers to these questions in time.As long as his team continue toproduce decent performances andgood results then his new employersshould remain satisfied.Rovers look like a team moving inthe right direction under theirexperienced manager. [LNB]Any changenow would be ludicrous.[LNB]'There are things that need to settledown and hopefully they willnow,' added Allardyce.[LNB]At the double: Morten Gamst Pedersen is mobbed after scoring his second goal of the game [LNB] 'Theserecent results give us time to cometogether reasonably quickly (withthe owners).' [LNB]Blackburn were worthy winners. Gerard Houllier's Aston Villa playedsome neat football when in possession with Stewart Downing andAshley Young always dangerous but they couldn't get enough of theball. [LNB]Villa look ready to evolve undertheir French coach. Houllier is sufferingterribly from the loss of keyplayers through injury, especially inthe centre of his midfield. [LNB]Blackburn, meanwhile, are well-drilledand efficient. They lack acentre forward of genuine class they are not alone there butyesterday they edged their way tovictory by doing the basics verywell and finding that somethingextra when it mattered. [LNB] On target: Friedel is left helpless as Pedersen's first-half free-kick sails over the top of the Villa goalkeeper [LNB]Villa could have been ahead injust the third minute when StephenIreland sent Downing clear andPaul Robinson saved with his legs. [LNB]Premier League return: Pires made his Villa debut after coming off the bench [LNB]Midfielder Barry Bannan then shotwide and Young worked Robinsonagain with a cross-shot after turningMichel Salgado in the area.[LNB]Fifteen minutes in and Houlliermust have been delighted but thatwas as good as it got for Villa. [LNB]Theyoung midfield duo of Bannan andJonathan Hogg eventually lostground in key areas and Blackburnwere able to impose themselves. [LNB]With visiting goalkeeper BradFriedel struggling with anythingthat was delivered high into thepenalty area, Blackburn's pressurewas never intense but was enoughto wear their opponents down. [LNB]Half-chances came and went forGael Givet later to go off due tosickness Junior Hoilett andJason Roberts before Villa left backStephen Warnock needlessly fouledEl Hadji Diouf and Morten GamstPedersen swept a 45th-minute free-kickdirectly into the far cornerfrom a wide position. [LNB]Friedel should have saved theeffort, but the Norway midfielderhas scored from those positionsbefore and Allardyce remarked: 'Ifa player from a big club had donethat people would say it wasgenius.' [LNB]Houllier later suggested Warnockshould not have fouled Diouf in thefirst place and he was right. [LNB]MATCH FACTSBLACKBURN ROVERS (4-4-1-1): Robinson 8; Salgado 7, Samba 7, Nelsen 8, Givet 7 (Chimbonda 45min, 6); Hoilett 6 (MB Diouf 64, 6), Pedersen 8 (Goulon 72, 6), Jones 7, Dunn 6; EH Diouf 6; Roberts 6. Subs not used: Bunn, Hanley, Morris, Kalinic.Goals: Pedersen 45, 67.ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1): Friedel 6; L Young 6, Dunne 6, Clark 6, Warnock 6; Bannan 6, Hogg 6 (Herd 81); Downing 7, Ireland 7 (Pires 68, 6), A Young 7; Agbonlahor 6 (Delfouneso 78). Subs not used: Guzan, Lichaj, Lowry, Osbourne. Booked: Clark.Man of match: Morten Gamst Pedersen.Referee: Michael Oliver 7.Attendance: 21,848.[LNB]It wasthe culminating act of a feudbetween the two players and theleft back should have known better.[LNB]In the second half, Villa rallied.[LNB]Young brought a plunging savefrom Robinson and then hit thecrossbar with a header. [LNB]Blackburn had chances too,though, and after Diouf had failed toconvert when clear they scored againin the 67th minute.[LNB] Pedersen was thescorer again, diverting the ball inafter Villa failed to clear a corner. [LNB]As Blackburn move upwards, Villaslide the opposite way.[LNB] Houllierlooked a little forlorn but he neednot be. His team are talented andcapable of playing good football. With key players missing, they justlack some experience.[LNB]'We need to learn lessons fromthis game,' said Houllier. [LNB]'We needto show more personality andcharacter, whatever our age.'[LNB][LNB] Blackburn 2 Aston Villa 0 - the action as it happened from Ewood ParkVilla manager Houllier insists winger Young is staying at the club[LNB] Explore more:People: Sam Allardyce, Stewart Downing, Gerard Houllier Places: Ireland, India, Norway
