Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has challenged his midfield players to start delivering goal-power on a more consistent basis.

O'Neill believes the likes of Steve Sidwell, Stiliyan Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker have to contribute in that department if Villa are to challenge for honours, particularly if they play only one out and out striker.

Only Gareth Barry scored regularly from the centre of the park since O'Neill took charge of Villa three-and-a-half years ago - but most of those came from penalties.

Even in last Saturday's 5-1 demolition of visiting Bolton, the goals came from strikers John Carew and Gabriel Agbonlahor, wide players Ashley Young and James Milner plus central defender Carlos Cuellar.

O'Neill said: "I think if you are going to be successful, you have to have a goal-scoring midfield.

"You would have to be exceptionally lucky to go through a season and not have someone scoring from midfield, and yet still be really successful. We should be sharing goals around more.

"We should be getting more from midfield. That is something we haven't really had here. In my time here Gareth Barry scored although a lot of his were penalty kicks.

"If you are playing with three in the middle of the pitch, and we have done it sometimes, with a lone centre-forward then I think the onus is on the midfield to get into the box, past the centre forward and score.

"I keep telling midfielders they are worth their weight in gold if they can get into double figures. That is why players like Frank Lampard are so brilliant.

"He is one who will get you 20 goals a season, every season."