IT was fitting on the day that singer-songwriter Reece Bibby wowed the crowds at a sun-kissed Ewood Park that Ben Marshall produced a performance that did much to suggest that he can provide the X Factor for Gary Bowyer this season.

Accrington teenager and big Rovers fan Bibby got Lancashire Day off to a rousing start when he treated supporters to some of the songs he hopes will win favour with Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Co in the countdown to Christmas.

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But by the end of the game the name on everyone’s lips was that of Marshall after he spearheaded a superb second-half showing from his revitalised and rampant side.

His brilliantly taken brace will live long in the memory. Not that this was a one-man show, however.

No, from Rovers boss Bowyer to impressive substitute Luke Varney, the supporting cast played their parts in what was a welcome and excellent victory.

Welcome as it swiftly banished the memories of the self-inflicted defeat at Wolves before the international break and excellent as it came over a big-spending Wigan side who, after a £10m summer outlay, are rightly considered one of the favourites for promotion.

It is true that Rovers, while getting to grips with Bowyer’s inspired decision to switch to a 4-3-3 formation, did not truly get going in a first half in which their manager correctly compared to the tentative opening rounds of a boxing match.

And it is true they were on the ropes after James Perch put the Latics in front six minutes after the break.

But the character they showed to bounce back from that body blow was exceptional and you would not have blamed Wigan had they thrown in the towel before the end given the barrage they were subjected to.

That the final scoreline was not more emphatic owed much to Scott Carson, After gifting the superb Jordan Rhodes his third goal in as many games, Carson recovered to deny the magnificent Marshall and the highly effective Varney, who really made Bowyer’s system work after replacing the fit-again, but not 100 per cent firing, Rudy Gestede.

On another day Marshall, playing in the hole behind Rhodes, could have celebrated the first hat-trick of his career.

But he could head home knowing he had left Rovers supporters in no doubt that they have another match-winner on their hands to go along with Rhodes, Gestede, Tom Cairney and Craig Conway.

With their five key attackers on the pitch Rovers proved, like they had done against Bournemouth three weeks earlier, that, at home especially, they can blow away any team in the Championship.

That said it was not until the Latics opened the scoring that they started to move through the gears.

A Rhodes header, following a cross from left back Markus Olsson, who was outstanding on his return, that Carson pushed around the post was the only save of note in the regular 45 minutes of an opening period in which both sides largely cancelled each other.

But the game exploded into life five minutes before half-time when, for the second home match running, Alex Baptiste was adjudged to have given away a penalty that was never a penalty.

Callum McManaman, like Bournemouth’s Adam Smith before him, clearly dived over Baptiste’s outstretched leg.

But justice was served when Ivan Ramis blazed the resulting spot-kick high over the bar.

With the bit between their teeth Wigan twice went close in added time at the end of the half as Paul Robinson saved from McManaman and then saw Emmerson Boyce head over when well placed.

But Robinson, who retained his place despite the arrival of Jason Steele, was beaten in the 51st minute when Perch’s 20-yard shot travelled through a host of bodies in the box and found its way into the bottom corner.

Within five minutes, however, Rovers were in front.

Firstly Marshall rifled an expertly struck 22-yard right-footed drive low beyond Carson’s despairing dive after the Latics had twice failed to clear a Conway cross.

And three minutes later Conway, who now has 15 assists in 24 league appearances for Rovers, swung over a free kick for Rhodes to turn the contest on its head.

Carson, having got two hands to the in-form forward’s downward header, should have done much better than help the ball on its way into the net.

But the former England international did redeem himself with a flying stop from Marshall and an even better save from Varney after Cairney, with a delightful through ball, had sent him clean through on goal.

Carson could do nothing, however, to prevent Marshall from putting a fabulous finishing touch to a patient passage of play involving Conway, Cairney and, with a clever decoy run, Olsson as he shifted the ball on to his right foot before bending it beautifully into the net from 20 yards.

Rovers, who kept Shane Duffy on the bench but did introduce fellow new boy Ryan Tunnicliffe late on, defended much better than they had done at Wolves with the recalled Matt Kilgallon clearing off the line from Andrew Taylor.

And, bar a poor miss from Taylor at the death, they saw the game out comfortably, much to the delight of Bibby and his fellow fans.