Aston Villa dominated Blackburn Rovers en route to a 3-1 home win, but injuries to Luke Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Emile Heskey served to take the gloss off a comprehensive victory by Alex McLeish's side. It was Agbonlahor who opened the scoring early in the first half, gliding past a pair of baffled defenders before stroking a shot home with Paul Robinson helpless, and he was involved in their second when he fed Emile Heskey at the top of the box. The big man slipped as he shot, but scored anyway, his low effort fizzing into the bottom corner past a despairing Robinson.
Aston Villa Vs. Blackburn Rovers: Injuries Mar Easy Villa Win
Halftime wasn't all rosey though - Agbonlahor was forced off with an injured to be replaced by Marc Albrighton, and it wouldn't take long before Luke Young had to be substituted for Ciaran Clark as well. By then Blackburn had cut Villa's lead after Morten Gamst Pedersen struck with a close range header, bringing themselves back into the match. That would prove short-lived, however, as Darren Bent re-established Villa's two goal cushion with a poachers finish slightly after Heskey too limped off the pitch.
A rousing win for Aston Villa, then, but depending on how soon all three injured players get back, it could prove something of a Pyrrhic victory. Blackburn, meanwhile, were dire. There’s work to be done there.
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