Dunn snatches point for Rovers

David Dunn earned Blackburn a valuable point in the fight against relegation with a headed equaliser five minutes from time in a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa at Ewood Park.

Villa had led since the 24th minute through Charles N'Zogbia's shot but Dunn levelled the scores when he headed in at the far post from a Bradley Orr cross.

Villa had looked set to take all three points until Dunn made sure Blackburn got some reward for their improved second half performance.

Villa dominated the early stages and after Marc Albrighton had shot over they took a deserved lead when Carlos Cuellar threaded the ball to N'Zogbia, who slammed a left-foot shot past Paul Robinson into the roof of the net.

N'Zogbia almost grabbed his second in the 44th minute when his low, close-range shot was superbly tipped away by Robinson. However, Steve Kean's men almost equalised with the last kick of the first half when Junior Hoilett met a Morten Gamst Pedersen cross but shot over from six yards.

Rovers looked brighter after the restart and came close to a leveller in the 46th minute when Martin Olsson's low cross from the left just eluded Ayegbeni Yakubu in front of goal.

Villa responded with a swift move which ended with Robinson blocking a low shot from Stephen Ireland, then recovering well to smother an attempted follow-up from Alan Hutton.

Scott Dann headed onto the roof of the net 10 minutes into the second half, before Dunn fed Hoilett, whose drive was parried by Shay Given.

Given denied Rovers again in the 70th minute by reacted superbly to block a Pedersen shot after Bradley Orr's initial ball into the box was only half-cleared.

Villa came close to extending their lead in the 79th minute when Robinson got down well to palm away Gabriel Agbonlahor's header from a Stephen Warnock cross. But Rovers grabbed the equaliser their second half performance deserved in the 84th minute when Orr floated in a ball from the right and Dunn headed past Given at point-blank range.