MATT Derbyshire had a first half penalty saved by England goalkeeper Scott Carson as Blackburn Rovers blew a golden chance to take a half-time lead at Villa Park.

Referee Howard Webb pointed to the spot in the 24th minute when Gareth Barry brought down the lively David Bentley in the area.

But Derbyshire's spot-kick lacked both the power and the precision to beat Carson, who threw himself to his right to make the save.

With England manager Fabio Capello looking down from the stands, it was Rovers who made most of the running in the opening 45 minutes.

Only an immaculately timed challenge from Villa centre-back Martin Laursen prevented David Dunn from pulling the trigger in the area after a mazy run.

And a raking cross from Bentley, who was eager to impress Capello, only just evaded the sliding Morten Gamst Pedersen.

In contrast, little was seen of Villa as an attacking force with their only threat coming from the occasional Ashley Young set-piece.

Villa: Carson, Mellberg, Davis, Laursen, Bouma, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Barry, Young, Agbonlahor, Carew. Subs: Taylor, Harewood, Knight, Gardner, Osbourne Rovers: Friedel, Emerton, Ooijer, Samba, Warnock, Reid, Derbyshire, Bentley, Dunn, Pedersen, Santa Cruz. Subs: Brown, McCarthy, Roberts, Khizanishvili, Berner Referee: Mr H Webb