Your minute-by-minute breakdown of this afternoon's game...

0 MINS: Rovers get the game underway, kicking from left to right.

3 MINS: Vassell on the right, he beats Neill inside, crosses, Michael Gray dives to head the ball, but it inadvertedly goes back to Vassell, and Friedel has to be down quick at the near post.

5 MINS: A harmless ball forward by Samuel is caught on the wind and falls nicely for Angel, who hits the ball first time, thankfully it bobbles wide.

7 MINS: A great chance wasted for Rovers, Emerton releases Neill on the overlap down the right, Neill's centre in the six yard area comes out to Tugay on the edge of the box, but he slams the ball just wide of the goals.

8 MINS: Jonathan Stead goes on a run from the halfway to the edge of the box, his left-footed shot flashes just wide of the far post.

13 MINS: Michael Gray cuts in from the left hand side, he shoots from distance, but it rolls harmlessly wide.

15 MINS: Andresen plays a nervous back pass, Angel chases but thankfully Friedel gets to it first and finds row Z.

18 MINS: De La Cruz's centre takes a deflection, thankfully it goes straight into the arms of Brad Friedel.

20 MINS: Neill and Emerton once again combine down the right, Emerton puts in an excellent cross and Mellberg has to dive to head the ball behind.

21 MINS: Emerton's corner kick is punched clear by Thomas Sorensen.

25 MINS GOAL!: A move down the right, the ball is played to Cole, back to Emerton, he floats the ball over the top, Flitcroft controls once, takes it past the defender and then tucks it underneath the advancing Thomas Sorensen.

28 MINS: Gareth Barry limps off, replaced by Peter Whittingham.

30 MINS: A snap shot by Martin Andresen is saved by Sorensen, diving to his right.

31 MINS: Brad Friedel jumps high to grab a De La Cruz cross into the area.

32 MINS: Stead plays the ball out right to Emerton, he beats Samuel on the right, crosses, Sorensen misses the cross, but Stead can't control and Sorensen gathers.

33 MINS: Samuel up to Angel in the area, he plays the ball back to Lee Hendrie, he shoots, Friedel is down to save comfortably.

35 MINS: A fantastic cross field pass from Tugay, Stead controlled it and hit a superb shot to the corner of the net, but Sorensen just got a hand to it to turn it behind.

36 MINS: Emerton's cross almost finds Cole, it comes back to the Australian, he puts in an excellent cross Sorensen puts it behind with an outstretched hand.

36 MINS GOAL!!: Emerton's third corner goes over everyone, finds Stead at the back and he thrashes the ball into the back of the net.

21 goals for Stead this season, three for Rovers in four games.

37 MINS: Rovers on the break again, Flitcroft has options, he chooses Stead, but he just can't find Cole and the move breaks down.

40 MINS: Referee Andy D'Urso books Lucas Neill for kicking the ball against Lee Hendrie, the Villa man retaliates, but gets away without a card.

45 MINS: Nice move involving Angel and Solano as Angel dummies the ball for the Peruvian to chase, he pulls up with what looks like a hamstring strain.

46 MINS: Another sweeping move by Rovers, Emerton, Cole and Tugay are all involved before Andresen controls and shoots, but alas it is over the bar.

Half-time: Aston Villa 0 Rovers 2

46 MINS: Change at half-time for Villa, Luke Moore comes on for Nolberto Solano. As the home side get the game underway.

47 MINS: A long Andy Todd upfield, Andy Cole beats Ridgewell, he feeds Stead, his shot is blocked, and then Sorensen saves Emerton's follow-up.

49 MINS: A tame shot by Emerton is dealt with easily as Rovers come forward.
 
50 MINS: A great flick by Stead, Emerton chases it down, but he just can't find Cole with a cross and it is blocked for a corner.  From Emerton's kick, it falls to Stead, but his shot is blocked. Todd is fouled for a free-kick 30yds out.

51 MINS: Gray takes the free-kick, it sails high over the ball.

52 MINS: De La Cruz beats Andresen to the ball down the right, his high centre is headed goalwards by Angel, but it is comfortable for Friedel.

53 MINS: A second yellow card for Rovers, Andy Todd goes into the book for bringing down Vassell.

56 MINS: Hendrie breaks through the Rovers defence, finds Whittingham in the six yard box and Friedel saves the shot with his chest. From the second Villa corner, Mellberg heads wide.

57 MINS: De La Cruz wins a corner off Gray, Hitzlsperger takes the kick, Friedel gathers.

59 MINS: Craig Short gets his body in the way to stop Angel as he shaped to shoot.

60 MINS: Lucas Neill is replaced by Markus Babbel.

63 MINS: Markus Babbel and Craig Short both fail to clear a Vassell cross, thankfully no Villa boot gets on the end and it goes out for a Rovers goal kick.

65 MINS: Friedel out quickly to grab the ball ahead of the menacing Angel.

66 MINS: Emerton shoots from distance, but it is wide.

67 MINS: A great tackle by Andy Todd as he robbed Lee Hendrie just as the Villa player was about to shoot.

71 MINS: Markus Babbel's swerving cross just hits the side netting.

74 MINS: Angel gets on the end of a long throw, he slips as he's about to turn and shoot and Rovers have a goal kick.

75 MINS: Cole wastes a chance to make it 3-0, a high ball bounces over Ridgewell, then the ball bounces past Sorensen, Cole, with the goal at his mercy, fires over the bar.

79 MINS: Rovers went to sleep for a second from a corner, Hitzlsperger fires wide.

80 MINS: Andresen hesitated to clear the ball on the edge of his box, Angel fires well wide.

81 MINS: Boos from the home side as Darius Vassell is replaced by Peter Crouch.

82 MINS: Emerton feeds Stead, and the young striker wins a corner off Mellberg.

83 MINS: Emerton takes, it comes out to Tugay, who hits a shot left-footed, but it flashes just over the bar.

85 MINS: Whittingham hits a cross in from the left, Luke Moore heads straight at Brad Friedel.

86 MINS: Friedel throws the ball long to Emerton, he runs down the line, puts in a cross that is put behind for a corner.

87 MINS: Hitzlsperger shoots from distance, Friedel dives to his right to save.

88 MINS: Long ball upfield from Villa, Short's header only goes to Angel, he heads it forward and Friedel gathers.

89 MINS: Lorenzo Amoruso makes a return to action, goal hero Jonathan Stead makes way.

90 MINS: Three minutes of time added on shown.

92 MINS: A great save from Brad Friedel to deny Peter Whittingham. From the corner, Amoruso clears the ball away as Angel threatens.

FULL TIME: Aston Villa 0 Blackburn Rovers 2