BLACKBURN Rovers lost at home in the Premiership for the fifth time this season as Aston Villa secured a rare away victory.

Second half goals from Steffan Moore and Juan Pablo Angel gave Villa their first away win since January.

And David OLearys side fully deserved the points after completely snuffing out Rovers as an attacking force.

Villa went the closest to breaking the deadlock in a scrappy opening 45 minutes.

Lee Hendrie raced clear after a mistake by Lucas Neill but his shot was tipped around the post by Brad Friedel.

Then an error from Craig Short led to another chance for Peter Whittingham but the midfielder screwed his shot wide.

Rovers, meanwhile, struggled to make much headway going forward.

Dwight Yorke headed over from a Brett Emerton cross and a goal-bound shot from Andy Cole struck Jlloyd Samuel.

But Villa continued to look dangerous on the break and Friedel had to react sharply to clutch hold of a shot by Juan Pablo Angel.

Then a cross from Mark Delaney flashed across the face of goal, just evading Moore at the far post.

The game followed a similar pattern in the second half and another defensive error led to the visitors breaking the deadlock in the 62nd minute.

Vratislav Gresko hesitated in clearing and Hendrie nipped in to guide a header across goal for Moore to tap in.

Twelve minutes later Angel then wrapped up the points when he converted a cross from Jlloyd Samuel.

ROVERS: Friedel, Babbel, Neill, Todd, Short, Ferguson, Tugay, Gallagher, Cole, Yorke, Emerton. Subs: Gresko, Taylor, Flitcroft, Jansen, Enckelman

VILLA: Sorensen, Delaney, Samuel, Mellberg, Barry, Hendrie, McCann, Dublin, Whittingham, Angel, Moore. Subs: Vassell, Hitzlsperger, De La Cruz, Johnsen, Postma