Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

Mon 11 Nov 2006Villa back on trackFA Premiership/Aston Villa  2 Blackburn Rovers 0: Ever since the American billionaire Randy Lerner took over in the summer and Martin O'Neill was installed as manager it has felt like Christmas at Aston Villa, and there were another couple of welcome presents yesterday.A highly dubious penalty, the sixth Blackburn have conceded this season, and a dreadful defensive mix-up when Zurab Khizanishvili squandered possession on the edge of his penalty area, enabled Villa to bounce back from their defeat last week at Anfield to reclaim a place in the top six.