Blackburn hold onto their lead, but only just.

Colin Hendry preserved Blackburn’s three point advantage at the top of the Premiership but Kenny Dalglish’s side can consider themselves lucky.

While Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton, the £8.6m, 49 goal strike pairing, drew a blank for only the seventh time in 36 matches this season, Hendry scored the all important goal and then got in a crucial last minute block to a Paul McGrath shot the left Villa fuming.

They claimed that Hendry used his arms to turn aside the goal bound drive and replays suggested referee Rodger Gifford could have given a penalty.

The Brian Little revival at Villa Park has shown signs of running out of steam recently. Villa fell apart just once yesterday, but the loss of concentration after only 12 minutes proved crucial. Mark Bosnich had been busy, dashing well out to clear from Jason Wilcox and then twice sprawling to his right to save from Stuart Ripley and Chris Sutton.

But he stayed on his line when Wilcox bent in a big inswinging corner from the right wing and no-one picked up Hendry as he stirred to head his first goal since scoring against Manchester United October. Gary Charles lunged on the line, but could not keep it out.

Villa were hit again six minutes later, when Republic of Ireland captain Andy Townsend, holding his back painfully, went off to be replaced by Ray Houghton.

But they so nearly levelled almost immediately, Charles’ cross flicked on by Ian Taylor to Saunders, with Henning Berg just hooking the chance off his toe and into the chest of Tim Flowers.

Sutton got in behind McGrath in the 48th minute, but Bosnich made a fine save to beat down his shot and keep Villa alive. Teale caused real panic with a swinging cross in the 51st minute, but though Graeme Le Saux missed it, so did Houghton and Jonson.

Saunders did connect with Staunton’s swirling ball from the left, but his header lacked the power and direction to trouble Flowers. Sadly it was the best opening Villa’s sweat created until the final frantic moments.