Rovers finally got over the line in a seven-goal thriller at Ewood Park after a late Sam Gallagher winner gave them the points against Reading.

They signed off their allotted Ewood fixtures with a 10th home win of the season, and by far their most entertaining, as they edged out the Royals to make certain of a top half finish.

Sam Gallagher eventually won it, his header making it 4-3 with three minutes to play, after Rovers had earlier been pegged back by two goals in the space of four minutes.

The tone was set as Rovers led 2-0 inside six minutes through a first of the season for Ben Brereton and Adam Armstrong’s 15th of the campaign.

John Swift’s free-kick reduced the arrears with the third goal of the game in the 15th minute, not the first time the visitors would score against the run of play.

Joe Rothwell found a third, and made it goals in back-to-back home matches earlier in the second half before Rovers were stunned by goals in minutes 64 and 68 through Sam Baldock and Yakou Meite.

But this topsy-turvy clash had one more storyline to tell, Gallagher coming off the bench to meet a Harry Chapman cross and give Rovers the points.

With Rovers’ play-off hopes over, Tony Mowbray took the opportunity to make five changes which included a debut for Hayden Carter, as well as recalls for Ryan Nyambe, Lewis Holtby, Joe Rothwell and Ben Brereton.

The latter needed just three minutes to make his impact, scoring his first of the season, as Rovers made a flying start. Reading unforgivably backed off, giving Brereton the chance to work the ball on to his left foot and roll the ball beyond Rafael Cabral.

In a 4-4-2 formation, they were piling bodies forward, and looking threatening at every opportunity. Adam Armstrong doubled the lead, with another long range goal added to his collection, this time on his left foot and his effort arrowed across Cabral and in to the corner.

It was just the start Rovers were after, but while unconvincing defensively, Reading did carry a threat in attack.

Yakou Meite sounded a ninth minute warning as he scuffed a shot wide as Rovers failed to deal with a right wing cross, before the Royals were handed a lifeline. It came via the right boot of their star man, John Swift, his 25-yard free kick having enough elevation to get up and over the wall, and enough direction to be out of the reach of Christian Walton as the ball nestled in the corner.

His corner than saw Tom McIntyre glance a header wide, but Rovers were quickly back in to their passing stride in an open game befitting of two teams in the safety of mid-table.

Lovely intricate play in the middle of the field presented another chance to Armstrong to strike goalwards, this one whistling just over the bar with Cabral at full stretch.

McIntyre prevented a clearer sight of goal for Armstrong, with his interception denying him the chance to get on to a Holtby slide-rule pass, and took the brunt of a long-ranger from the Rovers No.7 which proved to be then final act of his afternoon.

Rovers were continuing to be in the ascendancy, but couldn’t quite find the final pass, with Armstrong twice close to being clean through on goal.

He was continuing to try his luck from distance, a fizzing shot after cutting in from the left four minutes before the break just lacking the dip to trouble Cabral.

Armstrong would be provider for the final chance of the half, sliding in Brereton whose first touch took him slightly wide, before his attempted chip over the advancing ‘keeper deflected behind.

There was no such flying start from Rovers in the second half in terms of goals, but they were still enjoying a lot of possession.

Rankin-Costello was the furthest man forward to meet a Travis cross, which he couldn’t guide on target, the same fate suffered by Bradley Johnson from a Holtby free kick, albeit from an offside position.

Reading had been warned by Armstrong throughout, but he continued to keep finding space, drifting past two tackles in the 54th minute, with Cabral this time equal to his shot.

The third goal Rovers threatened did arrive though in the 56th minute, a quickly taken corner, and a deflection, enough to take Joe Rothwell’s shot beyond Cabral.

And Brereton could have had his second within minute, his shot flashing wide of the far post after good work down the left by Rothwell.

Reading made a treble change, and two of them combined to give the visitors a lifeline out of nowhere. A peach of a cross from Jordan Obita down the left was met by the head of Sam Baldock which had the pace, and direction, to beat Walton at his near post.

Then with just their third shot on target of the game, Reading found a third goal. Travis wanted too much time on the edge of his box, having initially looked like clearing the danger, only for Reading to pinch it and see Baldock cross for strike partner Meite who headed beyond Walton.

Rovers were suddenly ragged, and their first three changes would hope to have made the same difference as the visitors’. Olise’s deflected shot clipped the outside of the post as the game resembled something of a basketball match, with neither side showing greater willingness to attack than defending.

As Jack Vale entered the fray for the final stages, Rovers would end the match with seven Academy graduates and Darragh Lenihan the oldest of the finishing XI at 26.

Reading were looking the fresher as the game ticked on, Rovers fortunate not to concede a penalty when Meite and Rankin-Costello tangled inside the box.

Of course there was time for more, and having gone 19 minutes without a goal, Rovers came up with the seventh of the game. Gallagher gambled at the far post to meet a Harry Chapman cross and planted his header in to the corner.

Reading almost levelled again, Meite unable to keep his header down from inside the six yard box, before Vale was denied what would have been a first senior goal by the crossbar.

Rovers: Walton, Nyambe, Lenihan, Carter, Rankin-Costello, Travis, Johnson (Davenport, 69), Rothwell (Chapman, 77), Holtby (Buckley, 69), Armstrong (Vale, 77), Brereton (Gallagher, 69)

Subs: Leutwiler, Downing, Bennett, Magloire

Reading: Rafael, Gunter, Morrison, Rinomhota, Swift (Osho, 83), McIntyre (Moore, 36), Meite, Olise, Blackett (Obita, 60), Richards (McCleary, 60), Puscas (Baldock, 60)

Subs: Walker, Miazga, Boye, Araruna