The vital stats, form guide and key moments of the big game

BURNLEY (3-5-2)

Michopoulos;

(from right) Thomas, Davis, Cox;

Weller, Little, Ball (Payton 60), Cook, Branch (Smith 46);

Taylor, Moore (Armstrong 73).

Subs not used: Maylett, Crichton.

BLACKBURN ROVERS (3-5-2 manager Graeme Souness)

Friedel;

(from right) Curtis, Berg (Hughes 73), Short;

McAteer (Hignett 67), Dunn, Flitcroft, Mahon, Duff (Bjornebye 28);

Jansen, Bent.

Subs not used: Berkovic, Kelly.

VITAL STATISTICS

Shots on target...Burnley 2, Rovers 8

Off target...Burnley 3, Rovers 4

Woodwork...Burnley 0, Rovers 1

Corners...Burnley 4, Rovers 9

Offside...Burnley 5, Rovers 3

Fouls committed...Burnley 10, Rovers 15

Booked: Burnley...Weller, Little (fouls), Rovers 0

Attendance...23,442

Referee...Alan Butler (Notts) 8

FORM GUIDE

MICHOPOULOS: Not really being at fault for any of the goals but powerless to stop the Rovers onslaught...6

THOMAS: Looked after Marcus Bent well enough before the break but had a second half to forget as Bent ran him ragged...5

DAVIS: Steady first half but saw the Rovers strikeforce streaming past him too often after the break...5

COX: Had his successes against Jansen but over the 90 minutes the Rovers man comfortably took the honours...5

WELLER: Caused Rovers some problems down the right flank in the first half without punishing them enough with the final ball...6

BRANCH: Was stretched at times down the left flank before his game was ended early by a knee injury...5

* LITTLE: Took the game to Rovers whenever he had the chance and didn't throw in the towel. The cutting edge wasn't there often enough, though...7

BALL: Competed well in the first half but found the Rovers' runners too elusive after the break...5

COOK: David Dunn got away a number of times but the midfielder emerged with some credit for instigating some of Burnley's better moments going forward...6

TAYLOR: The striker had a fine first half, winning plenty in the air and only being denied by a fine Brad Friedel save before the service dried up after the break...6

MOORE: The linesman's flag denied the striker a goal he badly needs. Didn't hold the ball up well enough...5

SUBSTITUTES

SMITH: Started brightly but couldn't turn the tide...6

PAYTON: Got into a couple of threatening positions but couldn't find a way through...6

ARMSTRONG: Tried to steady the ship but Blackburn were rampant

OPPOSITE CAMP

FRIEDEL: Earned his pay with one stunning save...8

CURTIS: Didn't put a foot wrong on the right of the defence...7

McATEER: Solid if unspectacular...7

SHORT: Couldn't have gone much better. Scored his first goal to open floodgates...8

BERG: Quietly efficient. Only briefly stretched before half-time...7

FLITCROFT: Grew in presence to exploit the open spaces...7

DUNN: Overdid it at times but was a real threat running with the ball...8

DUFF: Never recovered from a challenge from Taylor and went off early...6

JANSEN: A class act whose pace and finishing was far too much for Burnley...9

BENT: Too hot to handle after the break. The only thing missing was a goal...9

MAHON: His running from midfield gave his strikers the perfect back-up...8

SUBSTITUTES:

BJORNEBYE: Kept things ticking over down the left...7

HIGNETT: Wrapped up a win with the fifth...7

HUGHES: Knocked the ball about comfortably

TECHNICAL TALK

Burnley started with a three-man central defence which looked equipped to cope in the first half but as Burnley went three down the back line became horribly exposed as the movement from Rovers' front men and midfield was too much for the Clarets to cope with.

SET-PIECE WATCH

Paul Cook failed to make the most of a couple of opportunities but also whipped in one dangerous free-kick which almost led to a Steve Davis goal just before half-time.

KEY MOMENT

Had Burnley pulled it back to 2-1 at half-time they may have had a chance. Instead, Brad Friedel made a stunning save to deny Gareth Taylor and Ian Moore was rightly ruled to be offside when forcing home the loose ball.

TIME FOR ACTION (mins)

08Burnley fail to pick up David Dunn, whose cross is turned onto the bar by a combination of Matt Jansen and Steve Davis

14Dunn collects Nik Michopoulos's punch and fires in a shot which Craig Short steers into net

28Short runs unchecked down the bye-line to deliver a cross which the luckess Davis deflects into his own goal

36Paul Weller's cross Gareth Taylor is denied by Brad Freidel's fine save. Ian Moore converts the rebound but is offside.

41Davis heads just inches wide

55Marcus Bent leaves Mitchell Thomas for dead and crosses for Jansen to make it 3-0

58Bent sprints clear again but Alan Mahon can't hit the target after being teed up by Jansen

70Jansen plays a one-two with Mahon and races clear to finish coolly

82Hignett is left in acres of space to drive home after being picked out by Hughes

90Clarets carved open again but Hignett drags his shot wide