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Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Aston Villa
Match Reports, 15:45, November 21, 2010 , | No Comments
Morten Gamst Pedersen's brace handed Blackburn Rovers a 2-0 win against Aston Villa at Ewood Park.
Pedersen struck on the stroke of half time and again at the midway point of the second half to lift Rovers above Villa in the table and four points clear of the relegation places.
Villa went close in the third minute when Stewart Downing got clear down the right side of the Blackburn penalty area and his low angled shot was blocked by the feet of Paul Robinson at his near post.
Ashley Young forced Robinson into another good save on 14 minutes with a low drive from the left side of the area.
However as the referee had inadvertently taken Gael Givet out of the game in the build-up, it would have proved controversial had Young beaten Robinson with that strike.
Rovers stepped up and dominated possession for the remainder of the half as Villa were their own worst enemy by giving free kicks away in their own half of the field.
On several occasions Villa keeper Brad Friedel was pressurised by the aerial threat from the home side.
Therefore when Stephen Warnock fouled El Hadji Diouf down the right side of the field in first half stoppage time it was no surprise to see Rovers go in front.
Pedersen stepped up and curled the ball into the area which eluded everyone, including Friedel, before nestling into the far corner of the net.
Villa had renewed purpose early in the second half as Ashley Young forced Robinson to parry his stinging drive away, before hitting the bar with a header from Downing's cross on 49 minutes.
On 61 minutes Pedersen's in-swinging free kick was well held by Friedel who had the distraction of Christopher Samba and Jason Roberts trying to get on the end of it.
However Rovers did double their advantage on 66 minutes when a corner into the centre was not cleared as Mame Diouf had a shot blocked. And, when the ball fell to Ryan Nelsen, his goal bound effort was diverted into the net by Pedersen from close range.
El Hadji Diouf wasted a chance to wrap up the win on 72 minutes when he headed wide at the back post on 72 minutes following a good right-wing cross from Michel Salgado.
Villa enjoyed more possession in the closing stages with Downing's shot parried away by Robinson on 74 minutes, before substitute Chris Herd had a heard blocked on the line by Salgado as Rovers held on for the clean-sheet.
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