Villa 3 Blackburn 1

First-half goals from Nathan Delfouneso and Carlos Cuellar put Villa in control at the break, before substitute John Carew wrapped things up with a 90th-minute penalty.

Goalkeeper Brad Guzan lived upto his reputation as penalty saver-supreme to keep out David Dunn's spot kick with the score at 1-0, while Rovers also had El-Hadji Diouf sent off for a horror challenge just before half-time.

The win will have provided a much-needed confidence boost going into Tuesday's crunch Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Rovers at Ewood Park, after back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and Liverpool this week.

The fact it was achieved with a much-changed team as manager Martin O'Neill rested a string of star names for Tuesday's clash made it a perfect afternoon for the Villa boss.

Guzan, Habib Beye, James Collins Fabian Delph, Ashley Young, Emile Heskey and Delfouneso were all drafted in, while Rovers boss Sam Allardyce revamped his team even more dramatically, bringing in nine new faces.

Despite their recent setbacks in the league, Villa began confidently and could have been ahead within two minutes when Ashley Young's corner found Delfouneso only for the teenager's to head tamely at Rovers goalkeeper Jason Brown.

But the 18-year-old made no mistake at the second time of asking, however, when he got in between two Blackburn defenders to direct Young's 12th-minute cross low into the left corner.

It should have been two on 21 when Reo-Coker sent Young clean through on goal but the winger seemed to wait an eternity to shoot and, when he eventually did, it was straight at Brown.

That miss looked set to be punished 10 minutes later, when Reo-Coker was penalised for a needless shirt tug on Steven Reid inside the box to hand Rovers a penalty.

But Villa always stand a chance with Guzan between the posts and yet again the American did not disappoint, diving low to his left to push away Dunn's spot kick.

It proved to be the game's defining moment as the home side soon doubled their advantage – another stunning Young delivery expertly glanced into the right corner by Cuellar from 15 yards out.

Rovers' awful afternoon got even worse four minutes before the break, when Diouf saw red for a reckless lunge on Habib Beye.

The Villa right-back seemed to try to dissuade Webb from sending off his Senegalese compatriot, but the referee was having none of it.

Steve Sidwell replaced Delph upon resumption and Heskey should have sewn things up when sent through via Young's stunning threaded pass and rounded Brown, only to be denied by a last-ditch tackle just as he was about to pull the trigger.

The visitors were handed a lifeline on 55 minutes when Guzan spilled a high ball straight to Kalinic, leaving the Croat with the simplest of finishes.

It was Villa who looked the more likely to add to their advantage though, with Stewart Downing having a penalty claim waved away and Cuellar almost grabbing his second with a bullet header from Stephen Warnock's cross.

Carew made sure at the death after dusting himself down from a fouk inside the box to roll past Brown.