ROVERS' reserves crashed to a fourth straight defeat after Villa came from behind to snatch a last-gasp victory at Morecambe's Christie Park last night.

Alan Murray's men looked on course for their first points of the season when Craig Hignett fired them into a first half lead.

But Moustapha Hadji then grabbed a second half equaliser for the visitors through a hotly-disputed penalty.

And centre-back Robert Edwards then heaped further misery on the home side when he rose to head the winner in the 86th minute which ensured Rovers remained joint-bottom of the table.

With first team squad members Ciccio Grabbi, John Curtis, Alan Mahon, Sebastian Pelzer, Andy Todd and Alan Kelly all included in Murray's starting line-up, hopes were high of a morale-boosting home victory.

And everything seemed to be going to plan when Mahon slipped a clever ball through for Hignett to slide home the opener from penalty spot range in the ninth minute.

The same players then combined again but Hignett's shot was deflected wide for a corner.

But Villa grew stronger as the half wore on and started to pepper Kelly's goal.

Edwards and Hadji both headed wide and a snap-shot from Danny Jackman flew narrowly over the bar before Kelly then denied Steve Stone and Liam Ridgewell in the space of a minute immediately before the interval.

After the break, Neil Danns grazed the bar with a 20-yard piledriver after a neat exchange with Hignett.

But Villa gradually got back on top after Murray was forced into a defensive re-shuffle following the withdrawal of Pelzer and Hadji equalised from the spot in the 75th minute when Mahon was harshly ajudged to have fouled Stone.

In the closing stages, both sides had chances to win it but it was Villa who snatched all three points courtesy of some sloppy defending with four minutes remaining.

Gordon Greer needlessly conceded a corner and from Stone's resulting flag-kick Edwards rose unchallenged to steer a tame header beyond Kelly.

ROVERS RES...1

ASTON VILLA RES...2

ROVERS: Kelly, Curtis, Pelzer, Douglas, Greer, Todd, Danns, Hignett, Grabbi, Dunning, Mahon. Subs: Hockenhull (for Curtis, 46), Richards (for Grabbi, 72), Corbett (for Pelzer, 73) Not used: Robinson, Donnelly.

ASTON VILLA: Postma, Bewers, Jackman, Edwards, Ridgewell, Melaugh, Stone, Cooke, Hadji, Boulding, Kachloul. Subs: Whittingham (for Kachloul, 31), Davis (For Boulding, 64), McGrath (for Hadji, 90) Not used: Henderson, Hylton.