Game #4504
Saturday, 17 January 1998
Attendance: 24,834
Lost
Premier League
13th (-3)
Blackburn Rovers
Last 5: 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟩 🟥
Ewood Park
Villa suffer one of the worst days in the club's history as anarchy breaks out on the pitch at Ewood Park and Villa face a deep fracture having conceded nine without reply against Blackburn this season.
Blackburn Rovers
5-0
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | None
KEY MAN
Savo Milošević, a nadir
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
🥅 | 21’ Goal, 0-1, (Blackburn Rovers), Tim Sherwood
🥅 | 29’ Goal, 0-2, (Blackburn Rovers), Kevin Gallacher
🕒 | HT Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Aston Villa
🥅 | 54’ Goal, 0-3, (Blackburn Rovers), Kevin Gallacher
🥅 | 68’ Goal, 0-4, (Blackburn Rovers), Kevin Gallacher
🥅 | 81’ Goal, 0-5, (Blackburn Rovers), Stuart Ripley
🕒 | FT Blackburn Rovers 5-0 Aston Villa
🟨 | Booking, Ian Taylor
ON THIS DAY
A terrible day for everyone associated with Villa, the team had shipped 9 goals against Blackburn this season alone however even this appalling result was overshadowed by Savo Milošević’s behaviour on the Ewood Park pitch. Hopelessly frustrated, Milošević let his emotions take control and spat to the ground in front of the Villa fans. An inexcusable action made all the more bizarre by the fact that Villa’s faithful had taken Milošević to their heart throughout his time with the club providing him with unwavering support. Milošević’s Villa career inevitably dwindled after this game but it is to the credit of all parties that he could take the field again in a Villa shirt, albeit less regularly, before leaving at the end of the season. Something that but for his stupid behaviour this winter afternoon didn’t need to happen.
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1995-96
Blackburn Rovers
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: 1994–95
FIXTURE HISTORY
Blackburn Rovers
Previous 5 vs. Blackburn: 🟨 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟥
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1997-98 |
Matchday | #32 |
League Game | #23 |
Manager Game | #158 |
Saturday, 17 January 1998
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Brian Little | 🏴 | Peterlee, 1994-1998
Referee: Keith Burge | 🏴 | Tonypandy, 1986–1999
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟥 0-2
FT Score: 🟥 0-5
FT Result: 🟥 Lost
Last 5: 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟩 🟥
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Keith Burge | 🏴 | Tonypandy, 1986–1999
Previous 5: 🟥 🟩 🟨 🟩 🟥
Last Match: 🟥 18 October 1997, Villa 1-2 Wimbledon, Villa Park.
Cards: 🟨 🟨
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Fernando Nélson replaces Riccardo Scimeca.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 26.85 |
Oldest Player
M Ian Taylor | 🏴 | 29.64 |
Youngest Player
CF Savo Milošević | 🇷🇸 | 24.39 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Brian Little | 🏴 |
Roy Hodgson | 🏴 |
Aston Villa
GK Mark Bosnich | 🇦🇺 |
RB Fernando Nélson | 🇵🇹 |
RB Simon Grayson | 🏴 |
CB Ugo Ehiogu | 🏴 |
LB Steve Staunton | 🇮🇪 |
LB Alan Wright | 🏴 |
M Ian Taylor | 🏴 | 🟨 |
M Mark Draper | 🏴 |
CF Savo Milošević | 🇷🇸 |
CF Stan Collymore | 🏴 |
CF Dwight Yorke | 🇹🇹 |
Blackburn Rovers
GK Tim Flowers | 🏴 |
RB Jeff Kenna | 🇮🇪 |
CB Colin Hendry | 🏴 |
CB Stéphane Henchoz | 🇨🇭 | 🟨 |
M Tim Sherwood | 🏴 | ⚽ |
M Garry Flitcroft | 🏴 | 🔁 |
W Damien Duff | 🇮🇪 |
W Stuart Ripley | 🏴 | ⚽ |
W Jason Wilcox | 🏴 |
CF Kevin Gallacher | 🏴 | ⚽ | ⚽ | ⚽ | 🔁 |
CF Chris Sutton | 🏴 |
SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions Made
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | M Garry Flitcroft | 🏴 | (LB Gary Croft | 🏴 |)
🔁 | CF Kevin Gallacher | 🏴 | (M Billy McKinlay | 🏴 |)
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Michael Oakes | 🏴 |
CB David Hughes | 🏴 |
RB Gary Charles | 🏴 |
M Lee Hendrie | 🏴 |
CF Julian Joachim | 🏴 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Alan Fettis | 🇬🇧 |
CB Tore Pedersen | 🇳🇴 |
CF James Beattie | 🏴 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 6/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/16
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 8/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 12/16
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Not recorded
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Abbreviations:
GK : Goalkeeper
LB, RB, FB : Left Back, Right Back, Full Back
CB, D : Centre Back, Defender
M, W : Midfielder. Winger
F, CF : Forward, Centre Forward
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
DEBUT APPEARANCES
FINAL APPEARANCES
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
TABLE

PROGRAMME

MATCHDAY QUOTES
"Only twice did Villa threaten to score, but Milosovic was woefully off target and Collymore was denied by Flowers."
*Sunday Tribune*
Sunday, 18 January 1998
Blackburn fire five warning shots
KEVIN GALLACHER blasted a brilliant hat-trick as Blackburn signalled their intention that the Premiership title race is far from over. Rovers overwhelmed Aston Villa at Ewood Park, with the Scot in dazzling form as he took his goal tally for the season to 16.
Captain Tim Sherwood scored Rovers' first and Stuart Ripley a terrific fifth as Blackburn climbed to second in the Premiership, five points behind Manchester United.
The champions have a game in hand and play at Southampton on Monday but Rovers are refusing to concede the title.
Rovers went close to breaking the deadlock after 20 minutes when Damien Duff's header was nodded back by Sutton and touched on by Sherwood for Colin Hendry to unleash a drive which was deflected over the bar.
From the resulting corner they went one better when Flitcroft flicked on Duff's near-post corner for Sherwood to score his sixth goal of the season from close range.
Blackburn doubled their lead on the half hour when Sherwood turned from goal-taker to goal-maker for Gallaher. Sutton played the ball forward and Sherwood flicked it on for Gallacher to score.
Rovers were now coasting and after 32 minutes, Jason Wilcox. who had replaced Gary Croft at left-back, threaded Sutton through and his shot went narrowly wide.
Aston Villa have won just twice on their league travels this season and, on the evidence of this first-half display, it was not hard to see why.
Only twice did they threaten to score, but Milosovic was woefully off target and Collymore was denied by Flowers.
Flitcroft went close with two shots just after the interval: after Gallacher set him up for a drive which was blocked by Bosnich, he then fired a second effort over the bar.
Gallacher directed a header Just over the top from Jeff Kenna's cross in the 51st minute but the Scot scored Rovers' third with a superb piece of individual skill on 53 minutes. Gallacher latched on to Hendry's long clearance and turned Steve Staunton inside-out before slotting home at the far post.
Gallacher duly completed his hat-trick after 68 minutes when he headed home Ripley's corner from close range. The 31-year-old striker was substituted four minutes later and left the pitch to a standing ovation from the home supporters.
Rovers were not finished and 10 minutes from time Ripley cracked home a 25-yard drive for their fifth goal and his second of the season.
After the game, Blackburn manager Roy Hodgson said: "We scored five goals but we could have scored even more. It was a very satisfying performance and I hope we continue like that for the next 15 games."