Source: Team_Talk
Villans see off Rovers in cup clash
Delfouneso struck his first goal of the campaign and Cuellar added a second before Rovers saw David Dunn's spot-kick saved by Brad Guzan and then had El-Hadji Diouf sent off for a lunging challenge on Habib Beye.[LNB]But Sam Allardyce's side overcame their numerical disadvantage to reduce the arrears through Nikola Kalinic after a Guzan error before Carew settled the issue with a late penalty.[LNB]Villa boss Martin O'Neill and Allardyce made it clear their priorities lie with Tuesday's Carling Cup semi-final first leg between the clubs by making seven and nine changes respectively.[LNB]But Villa's line-up still looked considerably stronger with the likes of Ashley Young, Emile Heskey, James Collins and Habib Beye amongst the players recalled to the starting line-up.[LNB]Ashley Young caused constant problems for the visitors and set up both of Villa's goals while youngster Fabian Delph impressed before having to be substituted at half-time through injury.[LNB]But Rovers posed more of a threat after the introduction of Morten Gamst Pedersen.[LNB]Villa dominated the early stages and forced two corners in quick succession - and, from the second of them, they created the first decent opportunity of the game.[LNB]Ashley Young's inswinging centre was met by Delfouneso but he failed to obtain a clean contact on his close range header and Rovers keeper Jason Brown was able to collect.[LNB]The pressure from Villa was constant and central defender James Collins had a goal-bound header blocked from yet another Ashley Young corner.[LNB]It came as no surprise when Villa broke the deadlock after 12 minutes through Delfouneso's first goal of the campaign.[LNB]Delph found Ashley Young on the left flank and he cut inside before sending over a teasing cross which Delfouneso was first to react to and he glanced his header past Brown from 10 yards out.[LNB]Ashley Young squandered a golden chance to double Villa's lead after 21 minutes.[LNB]Villa's stand-in skipper Nigel Reo-Coker found the England winger in space with a perfectly weighted pass with only Brown to beat.[LNB]But the former Watford player was hesitant and allowed Brown the time to spread himself and make the save.[LNB]Blackburn had the opportunity to draw level after 31 minutes when Reo-Coker was adjudged to have brought down Steven Reid inside the Villa penalty area.[LNB]But Guzan guessed correctly and saved the spot-kick from former Birmingham midfielder Dunn away to his left.[LNB]It followed on from his five penalty saves, including four in the shoot-out, against Sunderland in the Carling Cup earlier in the season.[LNB]This was to prove a costly lapse for Rovers as after 37 minutes Cuellar doubled Villa's lead.[LNB]Michel Salgado was yellow-carded for a challenge on Stephen Warnock and the resulting inswinging free-kick from Ashley Young was met by Cuellar who glanced his header past Brown into the corner of the net.[LNB]Blackburn's misery was compounded in the 42nd minute when Diouf was given a straight red card by referee Howard Webb for a lunging touch-line challenge on Beye.[LNB]Villa were forced into a half-time substitution with Delph, who had picked up a knock, replaced by Steve Sidwell.[LNB]Ashley Young continued to pose problems and a fine pass freed Heskey who took the ball wide of the keeper but was unable to apply the finishing touch.[LNB]Rovers made their first change after 53 minutes with Dunn replaced by Zurab Khizanishvili. Then out of the blue an error by Guzan handed Blackburn a life-line 60 seconds later.[LNB]The Villa keeper failed to hold onto an inswinging corner from substitute Pedersen and Kalinic had the simple task of tapping the ball into an empty net.[LNB]Villa suddenly looked shaky and Kalinic could have levelled matters after being sent clear by Pedersen but he drilled his low shot just past the far post.[LNB]Cuellar headed over from a Warnock centre and Brown turned aside a fierce Reo-Coker drive as Villa ended with a flourish.[LNB]In the 90th minute Gael Givet brought down Carew in the box and the Norwegian international sent Brown the wrong way from the spot.[LNB][LNB]
