Milner is the man in the middle

Villa match-winner James Milner has identified his switch to the centre of midfield as the key to his recent scoring spree after Blackburn became his latest victims.

The England star made it four goals from seven starts in the middle, as his 23rd-minute strike handed Villa a 1-0 win over Blackburn in their Carling Cup semi-final first leg.

Versatile Milner, who has moved inside from the wing since Stewart Downing's return to fitness, puts his goal rush down to one thing.

He told the Express & Star: "Obviously when you are playing wide you are always at the angle, and that chance in the middle is only a half chance out wide.

"Hopefully I will get more goals in the middle, but as long as I'm contributing to the team that's the main thing. It's important that you get goals all over the field.

"Gabby Agbonlahor has been in great form this year, John Carew is always going to get goals and Emile Heskey as well, but it's important that we take a bit of pressure off them. The defenders have chipped in too.

"I've always said I wanted to score more goals and playing in the middle will allow me to do that."

Milner was the instigator of the goal, having led the breakaway from inside his own half before finishing off an exchange of passes with Downing.

The central midfielder revealed the pair are working up a real understanding.

He said: "The more you play with each other the more you get that understanding. Stuart was screaming on the outside of me when I was making that run, so I knew where he was!

"We knew he'd be a great signing, he's just had to be patient. I'm sure there'll be much more to come from him."

But Milner insists the tie is far from over, despite the second leg being at Villa Park.

He said: "Is it done? No, it's a long way from that. We've managed to go there, put in a good performance and get a good result.

"We knew it would be tough, in the second-half they came out and put us under a lot of pressure but we managed to stand up to that.

"It was great to get a clean sheet, but the game is nowhere near done. It's down to us to finish things off, because they're going to throw everything at us."

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce was left cursing his luck, as Nikola Kalinic was twice denied by the post.

He said: "I think overall we deserved at least a draw, as we did enough in the second half. But it is our Achilles heel, this time it is millimetres of woodwork that have cost us a goal.

"We don't know why it is not going our way. But hopefully it will happen in the second leg. You need a bit of good fortune to get all the way to Wembley."