Patched-up Aston Villa ruined their former striker Peter Crouch's day with an amazing comeback from two goals down to score a remarkable win that plunged Southampton deeper into relegation trouble.

Steven Davis grabbed his first senior goal to steal the glory after Crouch had fulfilled his pledge to hit the target against his former club.

He could not have dreamed that when he beat Thomas Sorensen with a firm finish after just 13 minutes it was a strike - his 14th in 19 starts - that would make it 2-0 to Harry Redknapp's struggling team after Kevin Phillips had struck right at the start.

And when Crouch missed an even better looking opportunity on the half-hour with an open goal staring him in the face, after Sorensen beat out a blast by the busy Phillips, the dashing Crouch must have been tempted to say "let's just forget it."

Villa, after all, were trailing sheepishly at the time and soon lost England striker Darius Vassell and Danish international Martin Laursen to injuries.

Vassell was replace by Carlton Cole after an unfortunate ankle injury in the first half while, having had to start without Olof Mellberg and the suspended Liam Ridgewell, the bigger loss appeared the failure of injury-plagued Laursen to re-appear after the break.

David O'Leary was forced to introduce Peruvian winger Nolberto Solano in the giant Dane's place but the more Villa had to cover the cracks in their line-up, the better it became for them.

Saints had a major touch of the wobbles after on-loan substitute Carlton Cole scored his first goal since August from a Lee Hendrie pass.

And after Crouch turned slowly onto a golden chance to revive them after 69 minutes, the 30,000 home fans at St Mary's then watched in stunned disbelief as their team crumbled to an even bigger setback than the 3-0 crash at Blackburn last week.

Set up perfectly by Olivier Bernard and substitute Graeme Le Saux, Crouch finally shot limply against Gareth Barry and it was to prove another major turning-point.

Solano squeezed home a 71st minute equaliser after Cole had been denied it a minute earlier by referee Andy D'Urso's decision that his jabbed finish did not cross the line before Antti Niemi grabbed it.

And with 17 minutes left 20-year-old Northern Ireland midfielder Davis deflected home the winner from Ulises de la Cruz's hopeful long-shot.

Villa had to defend in numbers at the end but Cole, on loan from Chelsea, could even afford to fluff a further great opportunity nine minutes from time.

How different it looked at the start.

Sloppy Villa defending saw Jlloyd Samuel let Crouch take the ball off him by the corner flag with only four minutes gone and the lofty striker neatly set up Phillips with a low pass to nip inside Laursen's poor challenge and lift his shot smartly over the exposed Sorensen.

It was the 11th of the season for the former Sunderland forward who has come back to claim his place following an ankle injury and he was all over the front-line leading the attack in the first half as he and Crouch terrorised Villa.

It was, inevitably, Crouch who charged away down the centre in the 11th minute only to fire way over when he could have pressed on a little closer and he would have been relieved to see Villa miss a great equalising chance when Hendrie was given an opening 20 yards out only to drive his right-foot effort straight at Niemi.

And the towering 6ft 7in striker made them pay for it when Crouch snapped up the goal he said he had dreamed of scoring against his old club with only 13 minutes on the clock.

Jamie Redknapp picked out Crouch's cute run with a perfectly-weighted forward ball and he left Sorensen no chance at all with a perfect finish.

Things went from bad to worse for Villa when England striker Vassell was carried off on a stretcher after a collision with the combative Nigel Quashie just after the half-hour.

It could have been even worse for Villa had Crouch not added a third Saints goal on the half-hour.

Somehow he could not straighten one of his stilt-like legs long enough to stab home the rebound after Sorensen had beaten out another blazing drive by the busy Phillips.

It must be said, though, that Villa had enough chances of their own to get level. Davis ballooned a volley over and an unchallenged Barry headed wide when Ulises de la Cruz put a perfect cross right on a plate eight yards out.

Vassell also tested Niemi before he was carted off but Sorensen had to earn his corn with a string of stops from Phillips and Crouch. It was all worth it for the West Midlanders in the end.

Teams

Southampton Niemi, Delap, Lundekvam, Jakobsson (Davenport 45), Bernard, Telfer (Camara 74), Redknapp, Quashie, Anders Svensson (Le Saux 63), Crouch, Phillips.

Subs Not Used: Smith, Higginbotham.

Booked: Redknapp.

Goals: Phillips 4, Crouch 13.

Aston Villa Sorensen, De la Cruz, Delaney, Laursen (Solano 45), Samuel, Hendrie, Hitzlsperger, Davis, Barry, Vassell (Cole 36), Angel (Moore 77).

Subs Not Used: Postma, Berson.

Booked: Hendrie, Barry.

Goals: Cole 55, Solano 70, Davis 72.

Att: 31,926

Ref: A D'Urso (Essex).