BLACKBURN Rovers remain in the Championship relegation places – but only on goal difference after a narrow home win against Aston Villa.

Rovers go to Brentford on the final day trailing Nottingham Forest by just one goal after a first home win since March 4.

It came courtesy of Danny Graham’s 13th of the season as he swept in a Jason Lowe cross 10 minutes in to the second half to hand Rovers a priceless win.

Rovers stuck with a back three for the fourth game running, but brought in Danny Graham to add more of a presence to their attack.

However, despite creating a handful of good chances, failed to score for the seventh successive first half.

Danny Guthrie and Danny Guthrie and Sam Gallagher both sent efforts goalwards inside the opening 15 minutes, but neither troubling Villa keeper Sam Johnstone.

Rovers’ wing-backs were also seeing plenty of the ball, and pushing high up the pitch.  Derrick Williams dragged an effort just wide of the near post in the 20th minute after making great progress down the left.

But it was fellow full-back Ryan Nyambe who missed an even better chance eight minutes before the break. 

Williams’s cross in to the box found Nyambe, who steadied himself after Nathan Baker slipped, but his effort was too close to Johnstone who palmed it away. Danny Graham couldn’t turn the subsequent rebound home, before a rather tame Elliott Bennett strike from the edge of the area forced the Villa keeper in to action.

Villa were looking to play more on the counter, but with a strikeforce which cost in the region of £30million, were always likely to pose a threat.  Indeed, Charlie Mulgrew did well in the 22nd minute to hold up Jonathan Kodjia, and block a subsequent shot, as the striker broke in down the left.

For Rovers, Charlie Mulgrew’s left foot was a constant danger for Villa.  If it wasn’t his raking crossfield balls then it was his excellent set piece delivery.  One long diagonal found Sam Gallagher at the far post, and he in turn found Ryan Nyambe whose deflected shot was palmed behind from Johnstone.

From the subsequent corner, Johnstone flapped at Mulgrew’s delivery, but Elliott Ward couldn’t quite sort his feet out and the chance was gone.

Rovers’ best chance was arguably their last of the half, as Danny Graham failed to connect with a left-foot strike inside the penalty area after being found unmarked by Sam Gallagher’s flick-on moments before the break.

David Raya did make two important stops in the Rovers goal just prior to that, palming away a Kodjia drive from the left edge of the area, before getting down well to deal with a  Henri Lansbury free-kick.

Graham may have fluffed his line with his chance late in the first-half, but there was a clinical way to his strike which put Rovers in front 10 minutes in to the second half.  The striker held off his marker way to sweep in a Jason Lowe cross from 12 yards out.

It was the first real chance of an even second half, with Villa turning to their bench just after the hour mark, sending on Gabby Agbonlahor in a switch to a front three.

Sam Gallagher led a counter-attack just after the hour mark, but his cross was just too high for either Danny Graham or Derrick Williams who were waiting in the middle.

It was Villa who began to enjoy more of the ball as the final 10 minutes approached, though struggled to trouble David Raya, as Albert Adomah sent a strike well wide after a free-kick from fellow sub Jack Grealish fell to him.

Lucas Joao squandered a late chance, firing wide after leading a late Rovers counter-attack, but in truth, Rovers didn’t have to do too much to hang on to their win, despite the nerves around Ewood Park.