Villa returned to winning ways in emphatic style as seemingly doomed Bolton were put to the sword.

Martin O'Neill's men even kept a first clean-sheet since November in a one-sided Villa Park encounter.

Gareth Barry (2), Gabby Agbonlahor and Marlon Harewood were the scorers to get the Euro push back on track.

Davies headed over the bar as he rose to meet Guthrie's left-wing cross on four.

Young's cross from the left caused panic in the Bolton defence a minute later, but Andy O'Brien cleared the danger.

Davies pounced on a loose back header from Mellberg on seven, but Guthrie fired high into the Holte as he met the striker's cut back.

Villa had the lead on nine as Young broke down the left and lofted a cross for Barry to head home at the far post.

Cahill blocked Carew's flick from a Young cross on 19 as Villa went in search of a second.

Davies almost levelled for Bolton on 23, chipping onto the bar from an acute angle.

Laursen just failed to connect with an inswinging free-kick from Young three minutes later.

Taylor bravely blocked a rising drive from Young on 27 with Petrov sending the rebound high and wide.

Bolton keeper Al Habsi did well as he raced off his line to beat Carew and Agbonlahor to a Young centre on 30.

Taylor's 30-yard free-kick was deflected narrowly wide for a corner on 31.

Steinsson denied Carew with a well-timed challenge as the Norwegian shaped up to shoot on 37.

Laursen then fired into the side netting from an acute angle as Bolton only half cleared a Young free-kick.

Steinsson was on hand to rescue Bolton again on 39, cutting out Reo-Coker's dangerous low centre from the right.

Helguson fired high into the Holte End with a shot on the turn a minute before the break.

Reo-Coker screwed a right-foot shot wide of the target on 45.

Laursen did well to cut out a right-wing centre from Steinsson on 50. Carson managed to scramble the ball away as Taylor sent in a corner from the right.

Laursen blocked Steinsson's low drive from the edge of the box on 52.

Agbonlahor doubled Villa's lead with his first goal of 2008 on 56, slotting home from close range as he met Barry's low cross from the left.

Bouma fired high into the Holte with a left-foot drive from the edge of the box on 59.

Villa, now taking control, broke in numbers a minute later, but Reo-Coker was denied by Al Habsi as he met Agbonlahor's lay-off.

The respite for Bolton was temporary though as Barry added a third with a deflected left-foot drive on the hour-mark.

Bouma brilliantly denied Davies with a sliding challenge on 64 as the striker met a Guthrie cross on the edge of the six-yard box.

Laursen blocked Taylor's left-foot free-kick on 70.

Barry, in search of a hat-trick, headed straight at Al Habsi from Carew's right-wing cross on 76.

Carson, a spectator for much of the afternoon, comfortably gathered an angled drive from Steinsson on 81.

Substitute Harewood's low right-foot drive was deflected behind for a corner a minute later.

Harewood made it 4-0 on 85 with his first Villa Park goal of the season, rising unmarked to head home from Barry's curled free-kick.

VILLA: Carson, Mellberg, Bouma, Knight, Laursen, Barry, Reo-Coker (booked 90), Petrov, Young, Agbonlahor, Carew (booked 43). Subs: Taylor, Harewood (for Carew 77), Salifou, Routledge (for Petrov 86), Berger  (for Young 83).

Bolton: Al Habsi, Helguson, Davies, Steinsson, Guthrie (booked 37), McCann, Diouf, J.O'Brien, A. O'Brien, Taylor, Cahill. Subs: Walker, Samuel, Stelios, Campo, Cohen (for J.O'Brien 83).