FULL TIME: Aston Villa 3 Rovers 1 - Stout second half resistance saw Rovers give Villa some nerves, but they lost it in the first.
90+1 MINS: Carew sends Brown the wrong way with a cool penalty into the corner. Aston Villa 3 Rovers 1
90 MINS: Two additional minutes to be played.
90 MINS: A clumsy challenge from Givet in the area on Carew, the Norwegian goes down. Penalty.
89 MINS: Stout defending from Olsson again, up against Young he concedes a corner. Young in from the right, comes out to Downing but his shot is blocked.
87 MINS: Reo-Coker with a shot from distance, one for the cameras for Brown as he dives and pushes the ball aside.
84 MINS: Villa work their way into the Rovers area but Sidwell skies.
82 MINS: Rovers with a ball in from the left, Guzan claims at the back post ahead of Kalinic.
80 MINS: Olsson with another burst, wide to Chimbonda, back to Reid but his first time shot is well over.
78 MINS: Rovers now effectively 3-4-2. Givet, Zura, Jones - Olsson, Pedersen, Reid, Chimbonda - Rigters, Kalinic.
76 MINS: It is Michel Salgado who makes way, Maceo Rigters getting a rare Rovers appearance.
76 MINS: Downing takes, it comes off Olsson and behind for a corner. Young into the area, the newly arrived Carew rises but heads over.
75 MINS: Before Villa take a free-kick Carew comes on for Delfouneso.
74 MINS: Maceo Rigters will be coming on for Rovers, John Carew for Villa.
73 MINS: Reid is adjudged to have fouled his man. Allardyce isn't happy and Webb comes across to have words.
72 MINS: Young shoots into the ground after a spell of high balls into the Rovers box. Easy for Brown.
68 MINS: Givet and Chimbonda still aren't happy and complain to Webb, he waves them away.
67 MINS: Villa have a corner they shouldn't have. Thankfully from Downing's centre Cuellaer heads over the bar.
66 MINS: Pedersen robs Beye on the left and runs towards goal, he finds Kalinic who shoots across goal but narrowly wide. Allardyce has his hands on his head.
63 MINS: Pedersen takes, Sidwell heads away and this time it is Olsson doing his defensive duty, sliding in to tackle Heskey.
62 MINS: Again more good work by Olsson with a one two with Pedersen. He's tackled in the area for a corner.
61 MINS: Corner for Villa taken short, Beye shadowed by Salgado and Reid and eventually they win a free-kick.
59 MINS: So, anyway, following that excitement of the goal, I've yet to say how we are lined up now. We've essentially gone three at the back with now Olsson and Chimbonda as wing backs. With a narrow three of Pedersen, Reid and Salgado in midfield and Niko up front.
59 MINS: Pedersen from the left, but its low and cleared.
58 MINS: Olsson down the left again, ball in looking for Kalinic, Collins heads behind.
55 MINS GOAL! Pedersen with a corner from the right, Guzan flaps and Nikola Kalinic is there to score from a yard out. Aston Villa 2 Rovers 1
55 MINS: It is David Dunn who makes way, Zurab Khizanisvhili coming on.
54 MINS: Olsson, who has been one of Rovers' livelier players, sends a ball in from the left,Kalinic gets a tyouch but it comes off Collins and behind for a corner.
53 MINS: Zura will be on shortly. He's just getting a prep talk by Sam Allardyce on the bench.
51 MINS: Reo-Coker is too fast for Dunn down the right, his centre takes a deflection, Brown calls for it and Jones allows him to claim.
50 MINS: Rovers deal with Young's corner at the second cross, Brown claiming after Pedersen had headed away the initial centre.
49 MINS: Reid with a poor pass that Young grabs, he sends it through to Heskey in on goal, he takes it past Brown but Givet is there to put the ball behind.
48 MINS: Jones slips as a ball is played up to Delfouneso allowing the striker to turn and shoot but it is well wide.
48 MINS: Young centres from the right, Brown comes and claims.
47 MINS: Reid with a free-kick into the area, it comes out to Olsson who volleys right footed but wide.
46 MINS: Villa make a change at the start of the second half, Steven Sidwell coming on for Fabian Delph. No further changes for Rovers.
HALF TIME: Aston Villa 2 Rovers 0 - The visitors were rarely in the game, but fluffed it when given the chance.
45 MINS: Two additional minutes to play in the first half.
45 MINS: Di Santo with a blocked shot, Kalinic tries to get to the rebound but can't. It is Di Santo's last action as he makes way for Pedersen.
44 MINS: Looks like Pedersen will be on shortly.
43 MINS: Young takes the free-kick from the right, Downing sees his volley deflect high off Givet towards goal, Heskey heads but wide.
42 MINS: No idea what has happened as it is in the corner where I can't see anything but the upshot is that El-Hadji Diouf has been sent off.
41 MINS: Good defending by Olsson, twice Villa looked to play a killer pass but both times the young Swede was there to block.
40 MINS: Diouf with a kick from the right, but Villa clear.
39 MINS: Reid up to Kalinic who turns well, he looks to thread it through to the advancing Olsson in the area but Beye gets a vital touch and it goes behind for a corner.
38 MINS: All far too simple for the home side.
37 MINS: From the resulting corner kick Villa double their lead. Again it is an Ashley Young ball from the right and Carlos Cuellar arrives to glance a header sending the ball past the dive of Brown into the net. Aston Villa 2 Rovers 0
37 MINS: Yellow for Salgado after bringing down Warnock.
32 MINS: David Dunn steps up but Braz Guzan dives to his let to push away the ball.
31 MINS: Penalty to Rovers. Reid with a run, out to Salgdo who looks to the retun the ball but he's pulled down for a penalty. Reo-Coker is carded for the foul.
29 MINS: Rovers make their way down the right with Salgado finding Chimbonda, but his deep cross is the wrong option.
28 MINS: He's quickly up and walks to the touchine.
27 MINS: goalscorer Delfouneso, who has been limping about for the last couple of minutes, goes to ground on half way for treatment.
24 MINS: Salgado only finds Young with a ball intended for Olsson, he sweeps the ball forward for Heskey but Brown is out to slide to claim.
23 MINS: Jones wins a header against Heskey then blocks Delph's follow-up.
21 MINS: Dunn loses out to Reo-Coker and the ball is played through to Young who beats the offside trap, he bears down on goal but Brown saves with his legs.
20 MINS: Dunn with a quick free-kick to Reid but his centre is blocked and eventually Villa counter.
20 MINS: Good work from Di Santo, holds off the attentions of Reo-Coker to release the ball, he's then fouled..
18 MINS: Very quiet here at Villa Park, little in the way of an atmosphere.
16 MINS: Diouf with a corner from the left, Jones rises by Guzan punches clear.
15 MINS: Strong run by Di Santo into the area, he looks to go round the back opf Collins, his cross is blocked, Warnock comes across from the left to clear up but can't stop the ball going behind.
13 MINS: Young and Downing have now swapped sides, back to their more familiar right and left sides respectively.
12 MINS: The home side take the lead, Ashley Young floats over a ball from the left and Nathan Delfouneso gets between two Rovers defenders to glance home. Aston Villa 1 Rovers 0
11 MINS: Dunn runs at the Villa defence, holds off the attentions of Downing with ease, buts onto his right foot but his shot is blocked.
10 MINS: Strong run by Olsson but he just cant feed Kalinic.
7 MINS: Whipped in by Young from the left, Collins heads but against Di Santo and the ball deflects to the right, sent over again but goes behind.
6 MINS: Downing is pushed over by Olsson, Villa free-kick 35 yards out. Three in the wall for Rovers. it is tapped to the left and the effort deflects wide for another corner.
5 MINS: Meanwhile at the opposite end, Villa have another corner, I've to stretch to see who is taking it, is Downing, Rovers clear.
5 MINS: Howard Webb is the afternoon, he dismisses an appeal by Di Santo for a free-kick after being pushed to the ground.
4 MINS: Chimbonda with an ambitious effort, sliced well wide of goal.
3 MINS: Looks like Rovers have lined up as expected, Diouf left, Salgado right, Dunn and Reid centre.
2 MINS: Corner comes in from the other side by Young, Delfouneso heads straight at Brown.
1 MINS: Olsson blocks a cross from the right for a corner. Downing takes, cleared initially, back to the wide man who sends it in, Olsson puts it behind.
1 MINS: Kalinc flagged offside as he attacks.
0 MINS: The players change ends prompting boos from the home fans as Rovers get the game underway.
0 MINS: Afternoon from a chilly Villa Park. Kick-off is iminent. Rovers in their changed strip of White shirts, red shorts, red socks, Villa in their traditional claret and blue.
Sam Allardyce makes nine changes from the side that started against Sunderland in the league last time out.
As Rovers prepare to take on Villa in the Carling Cup semi-final on Tuesday night, it comes as no surprise that both managers had made many changes.
Just Pascal Chimbonda and Gael Givet retain their places from the match on December 28th with Rovers putting out a much-changed line-up.
Jason Brown comes back in goal, whilst Phil Jones and Martin Olsson return to the defence. Midfield sees David Dunn make a surprise return alongside Steven Reid. The wingers are expected to be El-Hadji Diouf and Michel Salgado, and Franco Di Santo and Nikola Kalinic start up front.
Gael Givet captains the side.
Villa also make changes, they make seven from the side that lost to Liverpool last time out.
ASTON VILLA: Guzan, Beye, Cuellar, Collins, Warnock, Young, Delph, Reo-Coker (c), Downing, Heskey, Delfouneso.
Subs: Friedel, L. Young, Sidwell, Dunne, Carew, Albrighton, Petrov.
ROVERS: Brown, Chimbonda, Jones, Givet (c), Olsson, Salgado, Dunn, Reid, Diouf, Kalinic, Di Santo.
Subs: Robinson (GK), Pedersen, Khizanishvili, Doran, Hoilett, Gunning, Rigters.
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