Villa claim derby triumph over WBA

Stewart Downing and Emile Heskey provided a much-needed lift for Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier as their goals earned a 2-1 victory over derby rivals West Brom at Villa Park.

Downing struck his sixth goal of the campaign after 25 minutes and fit again Heskey wrapped up the points 10 minutes from time before a late consolation from Paul Scharner.

Victory ended a run of three successive Barclays Premier League defeats and eased Villa's relegation fears.

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