BLACKBURN Rovers were knocked out of the FA Youth Cup by Aston Villa after a dramatic penalty shoot-out at Ewood Park.

There had been 13 perfect penalties before Joel Steer put his effort wide as Rovers were knocked out 7-6 on penalties after the two sides had drawn 0-0 after extra-time.

Joe Grayson, Joe Rankin-Costello, Lewis Thompson, Matthew Makinson, Stefan Mols and Charley Doyle had all been successful from the spot for Rovers before Steer missed the decisive spot-kick.

The game was goal-less after normal time, and then extra-time, in what was a game of few chances.

Charley Doyle and Matt Makinson had both gone close for Rovers with headers from Joe Rankin-Costello corners, while Ben Ascroft made a neat stop in extra-time to deny Jordan Cox.

But penalties always looked likely between two even matched teams.

Billy Barr named the same side which had seen off Arsenal in round three and saw them threaten in as early as the eighth minute.  Stefan Mols evaded two tackles before sending Jack Evans away down the left, he did well to cut inside his man, but couldn’t quite keep his effort down as it went over the bar.

Rovers were trying to play out from the back, but almost got caught out in the 13th minute.  Makinson overhit his pass to Magloire, allowing Knibbs to nip in, but as he tried to set Clarke up for a shot, Jackson was across quickly to clear the danger.

The best chance of the opening quarter went to the visitors and their central defender James FInnerty.  He had already got his head to an earlier Villa corner, before heading just inches wide in the  21st minute as he met Doyle-Hayes’ deep delivery.

The visitors were starting to enjoy the better of the territory, with Rovers needing to rely on some last-ditch defending to keep them at bay.

But having done so, they almost took the lead themselves in the 35th minute.  Rankin-Costello and Butterworth linked up well, teeing up Pemberton whose shot was deflected wide.  From the resulting corner, Makinson rose highest to glance a header goalwards which forced Johansson in to his first save of the game as he tipped over.

The tackles flew in as the conditions worsened in what was a competitive first-half. 

The half ended all square, but only after Jack Evans had flashed an effort over after Villa failed to clear an Andrew Jackson right-wing cross.

Set pieces continued to be the best route for goal for both sides, with Stefan Mols heading wide a Rankin-Costello cross just minutes after the re-start.

At the other end, Villa worked a quick free-kick down the right with Jake Walker crossing, only for Knibbs to head over.

It was from a deep free-kick which Rovers would go close in the 55th minute, as a Mols delivery fell to Doyle, who on the turn forced a good low save out of Johansson.

Lewis Thompson curled over a 64th minute free-kick for Rovers, as both sides’ wait for that one stand-out chance went on.

Chances continued to come for Rovers from Rankin-Costello’s excellent deliveries.  In the 77th minute, his header was met by Doyle, but he again flashed his header wide.

Villa hadn’t really threatened in the second period, but did go close just four minutes from the end when Doyle-Hayes curled an effort just over the bar in a rare foray forward by his side.

The 90 minutes failed to bring a goal, so the sides moved in to extra-time where tiring bodies meant both sides were guilty of being sloppy in possession.

Ascroft had not seen much action in the Rovers goal, but was forced in to a neat save down low to deny Jordan Cox after he had found room in the box.

Rovers were the side pushing more bodies forward in search of a goal as extra-time wore on, but in the end penalties always looked likely.

Rovers: Ben Ascroft, Andrew Jackson, Lewis Thompson, Charley Doyle, Matthew Makinson, Tyler Magloire, Tre Pemberton, Stefan Mols, Daniel Butterworth (Joel Steer, 78), Joe Rankin-Costello, Jack Evans (Joe Grayson, 71)

Subs: Matthew Campbell, Callum Wright, Bradley Lynch 

Aston Villa: Viktor Johansson, Jake Walker, Louis Hall, Alex Prosser, James Finnerty, Mitchell Clark, Harvey Knibbs (Callum Rowe, 81), Jake Doyle-Hayes, Kelsey Mooney, Jack Clarke, Jordan Cox

Subs: Josh Williams, Emmanuel Idem, Johan Abdoul, Jack Coates