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| Aston Villa's English midfielder Ashley Young celebrates scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers at Villa Park in Birmingham. Young gave a masterclass in front of Fabio Capello as the Aston Villa star's double-strike helped seal a 4-1 victory over Blackburn on Saturday. |
Young has been in fine form since the turn of the year, revelling in his new role as a withdrawn striker behind £24m signing Darren Bent and he was simply too much for Blackburn to handle in front of England coach Capello at Villa Park.
Young won and converted a penalty and added Villa's final goal of an emphatic victory, as well as playing a part in Stewart Downing's goal as Steve Kean's side slipped closer to the relegation struggle with their third defeat in four games.
Three goals in 16 minutes destroyed Blackburn as Villa finally moved clear of the relegation zone.
Gerard Houllier is keen to promote a policy of rotation but his decision to leave club captain Stiliyan Petrov on the substitutes bench, in favour of 37-year-old Robert Pires, raises serious doubts over the long-term future of the Bulgarian just days after the Villa manager told him he was no longer assured a regular place in the team.
Villa were on top from the start even without Petrov as Young and Bent combined for the former Sunderland striker to force Paul Robinson into a full length save.
Former England goalkeeper Robinson kept Villa at bay as a drab first half burst into life in the final ten minutes.
Robinson's strong wrists enabled him to push away two long range shots from Kyle Walker and Pires and it was the Blackburn keepers strong punch into the back of Nathan Baker's head, as the pair contested Downing's free-kick, which forced the young Villa left-back from the field with concussion.
Robinson also reacted instantly to push away the loose ball, after he failed to hold Pires's shot, before Bent could pounce on the rebound.
Bent wasted another chance in stoppage time, failing to react quickly enough after Morten Gamst Pedersen's wayward back pass, and it was no surprise it took a penalty to defeat the former England goalkeeper.
Keith Andrews was guilty of over-elaborating on the edge of his own area and was dispossessed by Young and in his eagerness to atone for the mistake brought down the midfielder, who converted the 49th minute spot-kick.
Young's pass released Downing for Villa's third goal and sandwiched in between was an unfortunate own goal by young central defender Grant Hanley, following Marc Albrighton's cross.
Nikola Kalinic reduced the arrears when his long-range shot looped off Richard Dunne and over Brad Friedel in the 81st minute, but Young restored the three-goal advantage when he swept in Downing's cross one minute later.
Rovers' miserable day was completed when Ryan Nelsen was shown a straight red card by referee Martin Atkinson for bringing down Young as he went in search of his hat-trick in stoppage time.
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