Milan Baros ended an eight-month goal drought for Aston Villa as Martin O'Neill's side denied Sheffield United a third successive Barclays Premiership victory.

Stiliyan Petrov opened the scoring after just 76 seconds with his first goal for Villa following his £6.5million move from Celtic in August.

However, Stephen Quinn and Danny Webber hit back for the Blades in a rousing second half at Bramall Lane, only for Baros to clinch Villa's seventh draw in nine away games this season.

Petrov lifted Villa from the off, firing past Paddy Kenny from 20 yards after an initial effort from Chris Sutton had rebounded into his path off the heel of Baros.

Rob Hulse hooked a volley narrowly wide three minutes later, but what followed was stilted and unconvincing from both sides until the 27th minute.

Phil Jagielka, who had curled a free-kick into the wall shortly beforehand, unleashed a 25-yard effort that hit the head of Petrov, landing on top of the net of relieved goalkeeper Stuart Taylor.

That was as close as Taylor came in the opening half to exerting himself as United pumped balls into the area, but failed to test the 26-year-old as his defence commanded the area.

Instead, it was the visitors who came closest to adding to the scoreline, initially in the 28th minute.

From a free-kick midway inside the Blades' half, Petrov picked out Sutton at the far post for a powerful header back over Kenny that hit the crossbar.

On the half hour Kenny then brilliantly kept his side in the game with a point-blank save from Gary Cahill after Gabriel Agbonlahor had flicked a Petrov cross into his path inside the six-yard box.

Cahill was swiftly onto the rebound, but his shot on the turn was blocked by Kenny's legs before United finally cleared their lines.

It was all change after the break, though, with a fired-up United on level terms in the 50th minute courtesy of 20-year-old Quinn, making only his second Premiership appearance.

Right-back Rob Kozluk's long throw to the edge of the six-yard box was inadvertently back flicked into the path of Quinn who finished with a right-foot sidefoot volley from 10 yards.

It was then all the Blades, with Taylor clawing down on his line a powerful six-yard header from Hulse before Webber scored his second of the season to put the home side in front in the 64th minute.

From a short corner by Quinn, Gillespie delivered a cross to the far post where captain Chris Morgan nodded the ball down into the six-yard box.

With his back to goal, Webber delicately flicked the ball into the roof of the net with the outside of his right boot as a static Villa defence stood and watched.

But the lead lasted just 44 seconds as the Blades rearguard proved equally inept in allowing Sutton to knock down a chipped ball from Steve Davis for Baros to blast home from six yards.

The points should have been United's, however, as the Villa goal led a charmed life in the 77th minute.

Taylor, substitute Aaron Hughes and Cahill produced successive stops on the line in the space of five seconds to deny Hulse twice and Christian Nade who had replaced Webber in the 67th minute.

From the following corner, Quinn drilled in a 16-yard left-foot volley that forced a fine blocking save from Taylor.

Petrov then almost stole it in injury time with a 30-yard free-kick that took a slight deflection past the right-hand post.