Martin O’Neill has declared his underperforming Villa side’s victory over Blackburn their best of the season.

Villa were well below par and trailed to a first-half goal from Stephen Warnock as their recent heavy schedule appeared to take its toll.

Luke Young levelled in first-half injury-time, with Gareth Barry and Gabriel Agbonlahor then hitting the target before Brett Emerton’s late consolation free-kick.

O’Neill said: “I felt it was our best win of the season because we were a million miles from being at our best. I thought we played second fiddle all of the first half and couldn’t get to grips with it.

“I am delighted with the effort of the players even though it was misguided. Our passing was poor. There was some clumsy defending at times, with players running into each other and stuff like that.

“They conjured it from somewhere. Milner has worked a miracle for our second goal and Gabby on the break scores a great goal for us. It’s our 20th point on the board and we were short.

“I was delighted with the win, because for most of the game we were second best. That is my assessment of the match. That is why I thought it was our best win.

“I am really upbeat, although it sounds as if we have lost 12-nil!”

There was a jaded look about Villa in what was their third game in six days. Next week they will face the same schedule, beginning with Monday’s league game at Newcastle.

O’Neill admits the time has come for him to freshen things up.

He said: “We will have to do a bit of rotating now, because we looked tired. We play Monday, Thursday, Sunday now and it will be asking a lot for the same group of players again.

“Some people might have to play all of the games and, while I never like to rotate just for the sake of it, this is an opportunity for the players to step in.”

The Villa boss also defended his decision to again leave John Carew on the bench, despite drawing a line under his recent lap dancing club scandal.

O’Neill said: “That is my decision. Allow me to pick the team for a while. If I get it hopelessly wrong, I have to admit that. We did not play well first half, whether it is to do with the system, or anything else, but it didn’t seem to be working.

“I felt I would go in again with the same starting line-up. But if I tell you John Carew is an integral part of our make-up and he is a major player for us, that is correct.”