A World Cup break may have come inbetween, but there was no disguising this was back-to-back derby defeats for Rovers in equally disappointing fashion as they were thumped 4-1 at home by Preston North End.

Ched Evans scored twice, with Ben Woodburn and Ben Whiteman also on target for North End who were given a helping hand by some desperately poor Rovers defending.

Bradley Dack had pulled one back for Rovers to make it 2-1, with Jon Dahl Tomasson then making a double switch, but that had the opposite effect to the one he would have hoped as two goals in three minutes from North End added a comfortable look to the scoreline.

Preston’s first two goals were courtesy of Rovers being caught trying to play out from the back, while Evans bullied the Rovers defence all afternoon demonstrated by his second and the visitors’ third.

The home fans vented their frustration, while the final quarter was nothing more than a training exercise with Preston fully in control.

It is the first time since August that Rovers have suffered back-to-back defeats, and only a third Ewood loss of the season, but a worrying performance to follow up the disappointment of the Burnley reverse.

Rovers made four changes from the Turf Moor defeat which included a first start since September 3 for Bradley Dack.

The Ewood playing surface had withstood the overnight freezing temperatures, and the falling snow, with no concerns as the game got under way.

A thumping Ryan Ledson challenge heated things up, with Callum Brittain unable to shake off the effects of the tackle as he was replaced by Clinton Mola inside eight minutes.  

North End settled the quicker, and were winning the majority of second balls, despite being without five regular first-team players.

That start was rewarded with an opening goal 17 minutes in as Scott Wharton’s ball into midfield was cut out, leaving the hosts wide open as Ched Evans slipped in Ben Woodburn to lift the ball over Thomas Kaminski and into the net.

Rovers were second best by a good margin, looking unsettled in and out of possession, with Preston much the hungrier.

The home crowd vented their frustration as Rovers continued to play their way into trouble, unable to find any rhythm on the ball.

Wharton escaped penalty appeals when beating Evans to an aerial challenge before Hayden Carter blocked Ben Whiteman’s goalbound effort.

That all came from Rovers giving the ball away in their defensive third which only invited more pressure.

Ryan Hedges had Rovers’ first shot of the game, 32 minutes in, but that was well over the top on the half volley.

At the other end, Dom Hyam made a good block to deny Brad Potts as he got free of Wharton in the area, as the pattern of Rovers failing to clear their lines continued.

Penalty appeals from Ben Brereton, as he went down under the challenge of Greg Cunningham just before half time, went unanswered from the referee, but Rovers were at least in the game as the interval approached.

Boos greeted the referee’s whistle at half time, but Rovers emerged for the second half with an unchanged team.

Yet the second period couldn’t have started much worse, with the visitors doubling their advantage three minutes after the re-start.

Lewis Travis lost the ball 20 yards out giving Preston a three-on-one situation, with Daniel Johnson eventually squaring for Evans to slide the ball into the net.

That was from a goal kick, that having come when Johnson intercepted a Hyam backpass but ran out of room as the ball went out of play.

Things hadn’t improved from a Rovers point of view, still unable to gain a foothold in the game as Whiteman flashed a shot wide of the target in the 52nd minute.

Rovers were readying a triple substitution, but only two goals were eventually sent on, after Dack pulled a goal back.

He swept the ball home on his left foot at the near post after Brereton kept alive a Carter cross.

Dack stayed on the pitch, with Brereton replaced, along with Sam Szmodics, as Sam Gallagher and Tyrhys Dolan were introduced.

Before that, Preston had two openings to restore their two-goal cushion, with Brad Potts’ long-ranger turned over the bar by Kaminski before Liam Lindsay headed wide the following corner.

Rovers moved to a back four in the hope that could provide more attacking impetus, but they were left stunned by a quickfire double from the visitors.

Preston’s third was a second of the afternoon for Evans who attacked a left wing Cunningham cross to meet it with the necessary power and direction to head beyond the outstretched arm of Kaminski.

And there was still a quarter of the game to go when North End added a fourth, Johnson rolling the ball into the path of the on-rushing Whiteman whose shot deflected beyond Kaminski.

 As the snow continued to fall, Preston were happy to play out time.

Rovers’ attempts at a consolation saw Dolan have a show blocked by Lindsay, while Hedges felt he should have had a penalty when he looked to be pulled down in the box by Fernandez.

The game had been up for Rovers for some time though, with Rovers suffering a first home defeat in three months in the most disappointing of fashion.

Rovers: Kaminski, Carter, Hyam, S Wharton, Hedges, Travis, Morton, Brittain (Mola, 8), Szmodics (Dolan, 58), Dack, Brereton (Gallagher, 58)

Subs: Pears, Ayala, Buckley, Hirst

Preston North End: Woodman, Fernandez, Cunningham, Whiteman, Lindsay, Evans (Cross-Adair, 86), Johnson, Storey, Ledson, Woodburn, Potts

Subs: Cornell, Bauer, Diaby, Slater, O'Neill, Mawene