Ben Brereton scored a hat-trick as a rampant Rovers hit five to maintain their spot in the Championship’s top six as they thumped Cardiff City 4-1 at Ewood Park.

Rovers’ front three were all on target, Brereton scoring twice before the break coming after Sam Gallagher had put them ahead, and before Tyrhys Dolan netted on his 50th appearance in the second half.

Cardiff pulled one back just before the hour through centre half Sean Morrison, and they gave Rovers much more of a game in the second half after being blown away in the final quarter of the opening period.

There was no doubt who was going to take a 90th minute penalty after Reda Khadra had been tripped by goalkeeper Dillon Phillips, Brereton dispatching that for his third, and Rovers’ fifth.

The one Rovers change came in attack as Sam Gallagher replaced Leeds United loanee Ian Poveda who dropped to the bench.

He started on the right of the attack, with Tyrhys Dolan tasked with leading the line against the three giant Cardiff centre halves.

Gallagher had the first attempt at goal, a hooked effort on the turn went over over the bar after Harry Pickering’s deflected looped goalwards.

Ben Brereotn was then into the action, collecting a Joe Rothwell pass five minutes in, before cutting in from the left and trying a 25-yard effort that was held by Dillon Phillips.

Cardiff mounted something of a response though and would have led from their first long throw seven minutes in were it not for a fine Ryan Nyambe clearance off the line. Will Vaulks’ throw into the box was met by Aden Flint, his header catching Thomas Kaminski by surprise as he palmed the effort up rather than away, allowing Sean Morrison to meet the rebound, though the Rovers right back was well placed to head off the line.

That was by far and away the best chance for the visitors but it was the start of a spell in which they managed to push Rovers back, the hosts unable to get into any flow in possession or able to press high enough up the pitch.

The magic spark they required however, came 24 minutes. John Buckley picked his head up to float a ball over the top for Gallagher whose first touch was excellent, and his second a clinical one across Phillips and into the corner.

Sean Morrison saw a header from a corner moments later easily held by Kaminski, but it was all Rovers from then on.

Playing with an energy that Cardiff couldn’t live with they went close to a second from a set play of their own, Rothwell’s corner met by the head of Daniel Ayala and denied by the frame of the goal.

Rovers weren’t to be denied for long though and got the second their play had deserved just after the half hour mark. It was created by Dolan, on his 50th appearance for the club, as he skipped beyond Flint on the touchline and delivered an inch-perfect cross for Brereton to volley home first time.

By this stage Rovers were rampant, Gallagher thumped an effort wide from distance and another strike from just outside the box forced the backpeddling Phillips to save.

While Rovers were dominating, it required a slice of fortune for them to establish a three goal cushion. Brereton’s luck was definitely in as he started a marauding break forward just inside the Cardiff half, which took him into the box, the ball then evading Phillips as he shaped to shoot, with the forward then bundling the ball over the line as Curtis Nelson attempted to clear.

There was some pressure from the Bluebirds at the start of the second half after making a double switch at the break, but Rovers found a fourth eight minutes after the break.

The front three were involved, Brereton, found by an excellent Pickering pass, crossed for Gallagher to head down for Dolan to take it in his strike and poke beyond Phillips.

There was a moment of concern for Rovers who were forced into a change just before the hour, captain Darragh Lenihan having to be replaced by Hayden Carter as Lewis Travis took on the captain’s armband.

A third clean sheet in a row slipped through Rovers’ fingers within minutes of that change, a 58th minute corner delivered by the lively substitute Giles and glanced beyond Kaminski by Sean Morrison.

There was a threat from Cardiff, whether from set pieces or when Giles got on the ball on the right, another cross from the wide-man as the game ticked into the final quarter was met by fellow substitute Mark Harris and tipped over the top by Kaminski.

A lack of composure, or poor touches, cost Rovers the chance of taking advantage of the spaces that were opening up, Cardiff remaining a threat from set pieces, a 75th minute corner landing at the feet of full back Joe Bagan who snatched at his shot that flew over the bar.

He tried moments later, this time from a little further out, and this one Kaminski able to watch wide.

Brereton sensed the chance of a hat-trick with five minutes remaining, with no other thought in his mind than getting a shot away when freed by Buckley, keeper Phillips alert to palm a well hit effort over the top.

There was time for the hat-trick, and a fifth for Rovers, Gallagher’s shot saved by Phillips before the ‘keeper tripped substitute Reda Khadra as he tried to force home the rebound.

Brereton picked up the ball that he would be later taking home, stroking it beyond Phillips and into the corner for his third, and Rovers’ fifth.

Rovers: Kaminski, Nyambe, Lenihan (Carter, 57), Ayala, Pickering, Travis, Rothwell (Edun, 83), Buckley, Dolan (Khadra, 65), Brereton, Gallagher

Subs: Pears, Clarkson, Poveda, Butterworth

Cardiff: Phillips, Ng (Harris, 46), Flint, Morrison, Nelson, Bagan, Vaulks (Giles, 46), Bacuna, Pack, Colwill (Collins, 80), Moore

Subs: Smithies, McGuinness, Sang, Bowen