THE tannoy message early in the game, requiring Nigel Kennedy's chauffeur to return to his car immediately, raised a few smiles, writes PETER WHITE.

But for Aston Villa, it perhaps had more sombre undertones.

For, once Blackburn Rovers had opened the scoring shortly afterwards, Villa were forced to play second fiddle to a sensational away performance built on the sharp-shooting of hat-trick star Chris Sutton and the magnificent goalkeeping of John Filan.

They were a marvellous Hitman and Her-o combination as Rovers made it two out of two.

And the world-famous violinist and Villa fan had more than transport problems on his mind.

Perhaps he was contemplating an early exit as teamwork orchestrated a remarkable victory.

Rovers' performances at Villa Park have often proved to be a barometer of their prospects over the past five seasons.

Win or draw and it has usually proved the sign of a decent - once triumphant - campaign. Lose, as they have in the last two seasons, and....well you know the rest.

After last night, it's difficult what to think, for the barometer is spinning out of control. Who's going to get the goals, was the understandable question on many lips as the season began.

Sutton, with a scintillating hat-trick, and Kevin Gallacher have had something to say about that.

And one of the best features of last night's game was that it wasn't one-way traffic as the scoreline suggests.

Rovers had to defend just as well as they attacked, with signs that the team is starting to operate as a really tight-knit unit.

When there is no natural or outstanding individual playmaker in the side, you have to create chances through movement and passing. They did.

In a 4-0 win, it's strange to find the keeper a contender for man of the match, along with Colin Hendry who, as always, was at the heart of the battle when Villa tried to storm the ramparts, especially just after the interval. And Sutton was supercharged.

The displays of the wingers, the two central midfield players, indeed every member of the team, were also important.

It might have been different if Villa had scored from one of the excellent chances they had. But Rovers kept them at bay, then put them to the sword as though they were a side accustomed to rattling up four goals regularly.

Once the first went in after 21 minutes you could almost sense the surge of confidence racing through Rovers' ranks and, at the same time, the deflation in the home side and support. But for some outstanding goalkeeping and defending, Villa too could have had goals, Stan Collymore and Savo Milosevic were thwarted in orthodox fashion by Filan before the keeper then stopped the latter's header with his legs when he seemed to be going the wrong way.

But, while Villa's much-vaunted three-man strike force - in which Dwight Yorke was a real threat - only promised goals, Rovers delivered them.

Sutton's second hat-trick for the club took around 20 tumultuous minutes when Villa were ripped apart and left in tatters by superb counter attacking.

The first was a classic striker's effort as Sutton took a ball from Stuart Ripley with his back to goal about 10 yards out and tightly marked by Ugo Ehiogu. He took a couple of touches, made a sharp turn and hit a powerful left-foot volley which left the Villa defence stunned.

Four minutes later, Rovers broke again.

Jason Wilcox freed Kevin Gallacher and his pinpoint pass found Sutton steaming in on the edge of the penalty area to crack the ball low into the far corner.

After 41 minutes, Rovers fans were in dreamland and Sutton ecstatic. The striker began the move in midfield, laying the ball off to Ripley who found Wilcox charging into space on the left. Wilcox timed his cross to perfection, as did Sutton his run to the near post to volley it past the helpless Michael Oakes.

Villa changed their formation at half time and the anticipated storm arrived.

Even with a three-goal cushion, it wouldn't have been healthy to have conceded an early reply.

Thanks to the heroics of men like Filan and Hendry Rovers didn't, but there were some close-run things just after the break.

Apart from Filan's saves, Patrick Valery and Ian Pearce somehow stopped Collymore scoring a home debut goal and the keeper and Jeff Kenna kept out Yorke when he looked a certain scorer.

Having survived the pressure, Rovers struck again.

Billy McKinlay, who along with Garry Flitcroft seemed to pick up so much possession from Villa, played the ball right to Ripley.

He hammered in a shot from more than 20 yards and it finished low in Oakes' net. Ripley has waited so long for a goal, but he'll have to wait a mite longer - for it came off Gallacher for his second in two matches.

Rovers could coast it from then on and, with 15 minutes left, the huge gaps in the Villa Park stands, left by early departures, reflected the holes that had been carved in the home defence.

It's important not to get carried away, but there were a few smiles on the way back up the M6 - rightly so.

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