ASTON Villa retained their long unbeaten record yesterday, but only just, and some of the sheen they acquired in recent weeks was rubbed off in a classic cup tie at Ewood Park yesterday.

Second division Blackburn have, of course, their own great cup traditions, but they date from the 1880s rather than from recently. Yesterday, however, they recaptured the excitement of the cup to give the leading first division team an uncomfortable afternoon.

To some extent Villa had only themselves to blame for their eventual problems, for with Tony Daley quickly revealing that he had the ability to skin Sulley whenever he wished, they had the start every first division team wants in such games, taking the lead after only 14 minutes.

But after dominating the game for the first half-hour, they were pulled back by Frank Stapleton. Nowadays Stapleton has a hybrid role in the Rovers line-up, drifting in midfield but with license to move forward for dead ball kicks, and he played in the style of his high days as a centre-forward to put Blackburn level.

From then on it was a barnstorming match. And at the close it was Villa who hung on grimly, owing their survival to Nigel Spink as their central defence lost its usual calm authority.

It had been different earlier. In the opening minutes Daley left Sulley for dead, beating him on the outside and then using his pace to break clear. On that occasion his cross was cleared but the second time, as he again left Sulley helpless, he fired over a fast, deep cross for Olney to rise between two defenders and beat Gennoe for his tenth goal of the season.

Blackburn hit back with some conviction, Spink quickly needing to save from Millar after palming Sellars' free kick to the feet of the winger. The goalkeeper was even more fortunate five minutes later as he barely beat Sellars to a perfect cross from Garner, a one-club man whose talents have deserved a much greater stage.

The goalkeeper collided with the incoming Sellars, and the ball flew out of his grasp into the net. There was no apparent intent to foul by the forward, but the referee took the diplomatic route, giving Villa a free kick to still the celebrations.

Instead, Blackburn had to wait until the 34th minute for the equaliser. In the meantime Villa should have put the tie beyond the second division club's reach as Daley, who is emerging along with Platt as one of the most exciting players of the season, continued to roast their defence.

Picking up a loose ball as Stapleton's lazy square pass sold Sulley short, he advanced to force Gennoe, into a neat save. However, the veteran goalkeeper, making his first appearance since a serious knee injury after colliding with Colin West in September, was put under little pressure by the profligate Villa forwards.

The lanky Ormondroyd stooped to place a header wide after apparently measuring his spot as he met a cross from Cowans, with Platt the controlling influence in midfield. Then, when Daley again left the home defence in disarray, both Olney and Ormondroyd failed to turn home his inviting cross.

Villa were to pay for those misses. Blackburn's attacks had been halted by a series of free kicks, with both Nielsen and McGrath getting lectures for tackles from behind. And it was from a free kick that the equaliser came.

composure. But for all their have beaten Spink anyway. probing they created few but the goalkeeper was corn that the real chances, and when Fin- pletely wrong-footed as t negan met Garner's cross ball hit a defender and flew

As the ball was sent by Sulley high into the box, Kenedy fell dramatically, but the ball ran to Stapleton on the edge of the six yard box. It is an unusual position for him nowadays, but before Blackburn's appeals for a penalty had surfaced, the Irish international dragged deep into the recesses of memory and came up with the right response, to prod the ball beyond Spink.

That gave the second division side renewed impetus, and as Garner and Sellars began to run at the visiting defence, even McGrath and Nielsen began to lose their composure. But for all their probing they created few real chances, and when Finnegan met Garner’s cross ten minutes after the interval, Spink saved with certainty.

Instead it was Villa who scored next. Platt saw a fierce shot turned onto the bar, but Gennoe was left helpless as Olney flicked on Cowans's corner for Ormondroyd to send a looping header into the far corner.

Any idea that the match was over was quickly dispelled as Blackburn hit back with a will. Spink made a splendid double save from Garner and Millar, but he was then undone by a deflection as Sellars met a half clearance on the edge of the area. His fierce drive might have beaten Spink anyway, but the goalkeeper was completely wrong-footed as the ball hit a defender and flew into the opposite corner.

With 24 minutes remaining, no-one in the ground would have put a penny on that being the last entry on the scoresheet. But Spink ensured that it was as he clawed back Stapleton's close range effort twelve minutes from time to take the sides back to Villa Park on Wednesday.