*Blackburn ensured a top-half finish for the fourth time in five seasons as a late Richard Dunne own goal handed them victory over Aston Villa.* The visitors were under early pressure as Gabriel Agbonlahor and James Milner forced saves out of Paul Robinson. But Rovers clinched an unlikely three points as Dunne nodded Martin Olsson’s dangerous cross into his own net as David Hoilett lurked on his shoulder. Villa kept hold of sixth place as Liverpool failed to win away to Hull. The hosts were close to paying for another disappointing home performance with an early return to action next season. Two wins from nine league games at Villa Park in 2010 has seen them fall from the fourth spot they held at the halfway point in the Premier League and almost saw them slip to seventh and into 29 July’s Europa League third qualifying round. Regardless of the result the visitors were already certain of finishing the season with a better home record than Martin O’Neill’s side, but have suffered on their travels and found themselves pinned back in the early stages. Christopher Samba had to be alert to halt the progress of Agbonlahor and John Carew before Robinson got down sharply to repel a glancing header from James Collins. At the other end there was more venom in Olsson’s exchange with team-mate Keith Andrews than the limp effort that prompted it in a rare forward raid. Sam Allardyce’s Rovers were reluctant to commit numbers to attack and rarely looked in danger of adding to a modest total of 12 goals away from Ewood Park this season. Certainly there was little of the early penetration offered by Ashley Young who flummoxed Gael Givet with a twisting run before almost created an opening for Carew with a deep cross that Stewart Downing headed just beyond the Norwegian striker. But Blackburn gradually crept forward and Young was needed to snuff out Hoilett’s break into the box with a sliding tackle before Samba nodded over David Dunn’s free-kick. James Collins almost proved the unlikely source of a breakthrough as Robinson spilled the centre-back’s tame effort before combining with Michel Salgado to keep out Agbonlahor’s follow-up. The former Leeds and Tottenham keeper redeemed himself further by pushing away Milner’s driven free-kick as Villa refocused their attacking efforts as the half came to an end. The visitors, perhaps reminded of the £3.2m difference in prize money between their possible Premier League finishes of 9th and 13th, were brighter after the break with Dunn getting a glimpse of goal and crisp shot from Andrews stretching Brad Friedel. In between those chances, Dunn was left bemused as he climbed off the turf following a challenge by Collins as referee Steve Bennett showed him a yellow card for diving rather than pointing to the spot. Stiliyan Petrov drew brief cheers from one side of the ground with a low effort that brushed the outside of the net but the midfielder hesitated a few moments later when he could only shoot weakly at Robinson from closer range. With Villa back in the ascendency Carew fell under pressure from Samba in the box but again Bennett was unmoved. Villa’s profligacy in front of goal was punished six minutes from time when Hoilett threatened to steal in front of Dunne, who inadvertently flicked Olsson’s cross inside Friedel’s far post. Milner’s well-struck, but central, effort from the edge of the box was as close as the hosts to levelling but the result from the KC Stadium spared them an early return to pre-season training. *Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill:* “”It was up to us to take it to them, there was a penalty at either end that was not given, but Blackburn played strongly. “We have ended sixth for the third successive year so we have cemented our top-six place. “But for the players I think it has been a terrific season.” *Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce:* “It was our third win away this season and against a Villa side that I think had only lost seven times. It is a massive win for us to finish on fifty points. “We certainly changed it around in the second half. We moved David Hoilett up front with Jason Roberts to give him more support and we started to threaten Villa. “It was fitting that two at the younger end of our team provided and scored the goal to get us a very, very satisfying 1-0 win.” --- *The Guardian* Sunday, 9 May 2010 *Richard Dunne own-goal gives Blackburn victory over Aston Villa* A season that started for Aston Villa with a dismal home defeat against Wigan ended in the same disappointing fashion as Richard Dunne’s own-goal, six minutes from time gave, Blackburn a rare away victory. Liverpool’s failure to win at Hull City meant that Villa secured sixth place for a third successive year but this felt like an unsatisfactory way to finish a campaign that had promised so much. It ended up a story of ifs, buts and maybes. Most managers will look back and highlight the results that could have made a difference and that process will be particularly painful for Martin O’Neill. Six points separated Villa from fourth place and a shot at the Champions League play-offs and it takes only a glance at their home record to see where O’Neill’s players came up short. Villa picked up fewer points in front of their own supporters than any other team in the top half of the table. In the bigger picture, there are tangible signs of progress. Villa reached their first major final in a decade, though they lost to Manchester United at Wembley in the Carling Cup; they reached the last four of the FACup; and they accumulated their highest Premier League points tally since 1993. Those achievements help to explain why O’Neill’s name was chanted afterwards here, with the Villa manager eventually emerging after the final whistle to acknowledge the supporters. He will hold further talks with Randy Lerner, the Villa chairman, about his future this week but all the indications are that he will stay. “We have to try and remain as competitive as ever, and that’s not easy,” said O’Neill, who maintained that Villa were a “remarkable club” to manage and a special place to work. “These are the things I will sit and discuss with the chairman. We have to try and improve the team just to stand still.” O’Neill said he was “delighted” with Villa’s final league position despite the season ending on a sour note. This match was never going to be a classic and Steve Bennett, the referee, seemed determined it should remain goalless when he denied both sides clear penalties. David Dunn was booked for diving when James Collins tripped him and in the opposite area Christopher Samba got away with a foul on John Carew. Blackburn, however, completed a fine end to their season when Dunne, under pressure from Junior Hoilett, headed Martin Olsson’s cross past Brad Friedel. “It’s a fantastic finish to the season for us,” said Sam Allardyce, Blackburn’s manager, reflecting on the wins over Arsenal and Villa in the final week that lifted his team into the top half. “The difference those results make is four places in the league and four times £800,000. That’s a big difference to our limited budget.”