Villa booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup as they claimed a comfortable 3-1 win over Blackburn thanks to goals from Ciaran Clark, Robert Pires and Nathan Delfouneso.

Clark gave the home side the lead with a header from a corner in the 11th minute before Nikola Kalinic equalised for Rovers seven minutes later.

A spectacular Pires half-volley in the 35th minute restored Villa’s lead before Delfouneso added a third in the 42nd minute.

The only sour point of the afternoon for Villa was the sending off of Nathan Baker who was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Junior Hoilett

Gerard Houllier rang the changes as he rested a number of established stars and gave some of his fringe players the chance to impress.

• See pictures of Aston Villa’s FA Cup win in our match day gallery

After a subdued start in front of a depleted crowd Villa broke the deadlock when Barry Bannan delivered a dangerous corner to the back post.

Clark escaped his marker and powerfully headed the ball past Rovers goalkeeper Robinson and into the net to claim his fourth goal of the season.

Blackburn immediately responded and Hoilett forced Brad Friedel to make a smart save as he shot from a tight angle.

Rovers were able to make their short spell of pressure count moments later when Michel Salgado was played in by Hoilett.

The Spanish full-back cut the ball back from the byline and Kalinic – who had only replaced the injured Roque Santa Cruz moments earlier – finished from close range with Friedel unable to claw the ball back from behind the line.

Villa regained their composure as the game wore on and they regained the lead after Heskey knocked the ball down into the path of Pires who struck a half-volley past Robinson from the edge of the box.

The French winger then helped out at the other end as he cleared Steven Nzonzi’s header off the line before Christopher Samba brought a fine save out of Friedel.

Villa took the sting out of the game, though, when they added a third after a superb move which saw Baker picked out on the left flank as the home side hit on the counter attack.

The young defender whipped in an early ball which picked out the head of Delfouneso and he made no mistake to head the ball past Robinson.

A shell-shocked Blackburn sprung into life before the break and there was still time for Martin Olsson to hit the bar before the referee brought an end to an action-packed half.

Both sides were much tighter at the back straight after the interval and the game became a much scrappier affair which culminated in the sending off of Baker.

The young defender dangerously lunged at Hoilett and referee Lee Probert showed no hesitation in showing a red card in the 63rd minute.

It prompted Houllier into a tactical substitution shortly afterwards as Pires was withdrawn and replaced by James Collins with Clark shifted to left-back.

Villa seemed content to sit on their two-goal advantage and Stewart Downing, who had come on for Gabby Agbonlahor at half-time, had a rare shot from the left in the 73rd minute which was easily saved by Robinson.

Downing had another great chance in the 81st minute after he dispossessed Salgado and ran the full length of the half before he unleashed a fierce drive which Robinson parried as the game petered out in the remaining minutes.