Rovers had made the head-lines all week after the training ground spat between Graeme Souness and Dwight Yorke and then a complaint by Andy Cole to the PFA about being victimised by the Rovers boss.

But all that was forgotten as skipper Flitcroft and Stead, both back in the side after hamstring problems, earned the visitors only their second win in 10 games.

Blackburn were well worthy of the three points against a Villa side who had begun the game with a push for a European place not out of the question.

But David O’Leary’s side could not cope with the threat of Brett Emerton on the right flank while Flitcroft was a steadying influence in the centre of the park.

And the Rovers defensive pairing of Craig Short and Andy Todd also kept a tight grip on Villa’s 20-goal leading scorer Juan Pablo Angel.

To make matters worse both Gareth Barry and Nolberto Solano limped out of the action to further reduce an already threadbare squad.

Villa started brightly and Rovers ’keeper Brad Friedel was soon called into action to block a shot from a narrow angle by Darius Vassell.

Angel then found himself in space on the right of the Blackburn area but failed to make proper contact with his shot and it bobbled past Friedel’s far post.

But Blackburn were soon into their stride and Tugay sliced his shot wide when he should have at least hit the target after Olof Mellberg had only half cleared.

Then a surging run from midfield by Jonathan Stead ended in disappointing fashion as he sent his shot wide of Thomas Sorensen’s goal.

It was an open affair and after 25 minutes the Villa defence was caught napping as Flitcroft put Rovers in front.

A chip into the box from Emerton looked innocuous enough but Villa were caught out and ball-watching before Flitcroft nipped in and drilled his shot past Sorensen.

Sorensen held onto a low Stead shot but was relieved to see the same player fail to make full contact at the far post with an Emerton centre.

Blackburn were in control with Flitcroft pulling the strings in midfield and Sorensen made a low save at full stretch to finger-tip a Stead effort around the post.

In a rare Villa attack Lee Hendrie fired his low shot straight at Friedel after being teed up by Angel.

But it came as no surprise when Rovers doubled their lead after 36 minutes through Stead’s third goal in four games since his move from Huddersfield during the transfer window.

A corner from Neill was flicked on – and Stead made no mistake with a right footed effort which flew past Sorensen with the Villa defence again at sixes and sevens.

Villa were forced into a half-time substitution with Solano, who had suffered a hamstring injury just before the interval, replaced by Luke Moore.

Blackburn were soon back on the offensive and Cole was allowed to wriggle clear of the Villa defence and square the ball across the box from the by-line.

Stead was first to react and his low effort was blocked by the legs of Sorensen.

O’Leary had reverted to a 4-3-3 formation with Moore joining Vassell and Angel in attack but Blackburn continued to look more threatening and Hendrie blocked a goalbound effort from Stead.

The home side had a rare opportunity when Whittingham turned sharply after collecting Hendrie’s low centre but Friedel blocked his shot at point blank range.

Cole could have got on the score-sheet after the ball bounced over Sorensen’s head from a long clearance but his shot from an acute angle failed to hit the target.