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Aston Villa 5-2 Burnley
Match Reports, 18:07, February 21, 2010 ,
Villa renewed their claim for a Champions League slot with a five-goal blitz of hapless Burnley.
On a day when Man City and Liverpool drew 0-0, Martin O'Neill's side laid down the gauntlet for that fourth place after a second half goal spree that lead them to a 5-2 victory against Burnley - now rooted in 19th place.
Four goals in 11 second half minutes finished the game as a contest, which until that point had threatened to see Burnley take only their second away point of the season.
Burnley, in fact took the lead after just 10 minutes when Steven Fletcher grabbed his 7th goal of the season.
Jack Cork did well to find Nugent on the right side of the area. he drove the ball low across goal and Fletcher was on hand at the far post for a simple tap in.
Burnley continued to show fight and belief in a good first half but Villa found themselves level on 32 minutes. Ashley Young's initial free-kick on the left was punched behind for a corner. From the resulting short corner, Young crossed from the left corner of the area and it somehow evaded everyone to find the far corner and send Villa in level at the break.
Burnley started the stronger of the sides after the interval and were looking good value for the 1-1 scoreline until the goal blitz that ended the match.
First Young was set free down the left channel on 56 minutes. He played the ball across to Stewart Downing, who took one touch before shooting acorss goal right footed. His shot beat Brian Jensen and Leon Cort on the line before finding its way in off the post.
Two minutes later Villa had doubled their lead and it was Downing again who got the goal. This time, Gabriel Agbonlahor found himself one-on-one with Jensen. The Burnley keeper saved the first effort, but the Villa man got hold of the rebound, played it to Downing and his left foot effort from 25 yards deflected off of Danny Fox and past Jensen.
Just three minutes later and the game was out of sight. Agbonlahor used his pace to get free on the left, crossed low and Emile Heskey had the simple task of side-footing home from close range.
The fifth on 68 minutes was the result of the best move of the match. Carlos Cuellar and Downing combined down the right to feed Heskey. He played it on for James Milner on the overlap and his right foot cross was guided in by Agbonlahor from a couple of yards.
The scoring looked to be over as the game neared the end, but Cork's cross from the left was tapped home at the far post by sub Martin Paterson to reduce the deficit in injury time.
The result sees O'Neill's men jump into fourth and stake their claim again for the last Champions League place.
For Brian Laws his side now have the worst defensive record in the division and 1 point on the road all season could be their undoing come May.