Blackburn searching for an equaliser, launching the ball forward and it falls kindly for Pedersen who strikes at goal but again Knight makes the block.

Davies' attempted clearance thumps into Pedersen and the ball ricochets to Santa Cruz. The runners from midfield create space for Santa Cruz to shoot and it's a wonderful strike that flashes just wide.

Villa just can't kill off the home side here and they could be made to regret these missed chances!

Ashley Young leads a rapid Villa counter-attack as he breakd down the left and crosses low towards Agbonlahor. Agbonlahor dips his head but makes a mess of the effort, it falls for Milner, six yards out with the goal at his mercy but he puts it wide.

Substitute Tugay tries his luck from distance but Knight makes yet another block. We all know what Tugay can do from that sort of distance.

A penalty appeal for Blackburn as Jason Roberts sucks Knight in with his back to goal. Roberts turns quickly towards goal and Knight has his arms all over the forward but as Roberts goes down the referee waves away the penalty appeals.

Blackburn have made two changes but still struggle to stop Villa controlling the game. Ashley Young finds the ball in space on the left and delivers towards Barry making a late burst into the box but he sends his header just left of the target.

Villa are dominating the play in the second period. Milner once again is roaming from the right touch line, picked out by Petrov, he turns and shoots but Samba makes an excellent block and clearance.

Sorry for the lack of update but Andre Ooijer has been receiving some treatment for a nasty looking head injury and Blackburn have also had Warnock down with an apparent ankle problem.

Ashley Young has had a quiet game on the Villa left but he finds the ball at his feet and takes the chance to cross towards Heskey but Nelsen steps in to clear the danger.

Keen to impress on his debut again Diouf picks the ball up and takes on the full-back and whips the ball into the box but Curtis Davies makes the clearance. Good defensive positioning from Davies.

James Milner breaks down the right hand side and elects to cut the ball back towards Petrov, he shifts it into the path of Agbonlahor who strikes at goal but sends it wide.

The substitute Diouf takes on Gardner on the left hand side and pulls the ball back to Grella just outside the box. Grella shoots but Barry blocks.

James Milner again finding himself in the middle of the park, cutting in from the right and once more trying his luck and forcing a good save from Robinson from long range.

Blackburn launch the ball forward and it falls to the feet of Dunn, coming in from the left once more, and he fires at goal but the shot flashes just wide of the upright.

James Milner tries his luck from the edge of the box but is denied by a superb save from Robinson. The resulting corner is delivered by Barry but Ooijer earns Rovers a free-kick and the danger is cleared.

Rapid counter-attack from Aston Villa as Gareth Barry threads the ball through the Rover's defence to pick out the run of Agbonlahor who beats Robinson to score but it is disallowed! The assistant had raised his flag to deny Villa a second.

McCarthy again finding the room to turn on the edge of the box and strike at goal but once again Zat Knight throws himself into the path of the ball to make a crucial block.

Zat Knight brings down McCarthy on the right and concedes a free-kick, which Pedersen will take. He whips the ball in but as Friedel comes to gather he is impeded by Samba and is awarded a free-kick.

Agbonlahor's cross is headed behind by Nelsen for a corner. Ashley Young delivers to the far post and Curtis Davies meets the ball with a header but from close range he puts it wide of the post.

The game becoming very stretched after the goal. Sam Allardyce will be fuming with the defensive lapse that gave Villa the lead but Blackburn have fought back into the game since going behind.

Blackburn almost with an immediate riposte as Villa only half clear Pedersen' cross and McCarthy fires goalwards from the edge of the box but Davies is in the right place at the right time to deny the South African.

Jason Roberts chests a long ball down into the path of Andrews who shoots but somewhat scuffs it towards McCarthy, who tries to poke it home but can only divert it wide.

A passage of passing from Blackburn and Andrews works the ball into the path of Pedersen deep inside the area but from a tight angle, the winger fires just wide.

Gareth Barry delivers a free-kick from the right, Robinson comes off his line but collides with Samba and the ball comes off Heskey and finds the net. Villa's celebrations are cut short by the referee's whistle for an apparent foul by Heskey.

David Dunn, who seems to be playing from the left hand side today, cuts in from the wing and tries his luck from 25 yards. He strikes the ball cleanly but Friedel sees it all the way and makes a good save.

Gabriel Agbonlahor is caught offside by some intelligent Blackburn defending. Good play in the midfield from Villa but the final ball just hasn't quite come off for either side so far.

A chance for Jason Roberts as he finds space around the edge of the Villa box but his strike is blocked by Zat Knight. There's a lot of support behind Friedel's goal for the visitors, perhaps not an advantage considering Villa's fine away form.

David Dunn picks up the ball on the right hand side, roaming from that central midfield position. Dunn has time to bend a cross towards Roberts but Friedel comes off his line to claim the ball confidently.

Aston Villa start brightly and win an early corner that Gareth Barry will deliver from the right - He swings it in and picks out Heskey unmarked, but he heads it over the top. A good chance for the visitors.