ROVERS' last Ewood win over the Red Devils came in 2006. Here’s how the Lancashire Telegraph reported the famous victory...

THE last time Blackburn Rovers did the double over Manchester United, Laurel and Hardy were the hottest thing in Hollywood, Ramsay MacDonald was Prime Minister of England, and Uruguay had just won the first World Cup.

Now, three quarters of a century on, Blackburn fans are celebrating again after this David Bentley-inspired victory underlined just why Mark Hughes believes his class of 2006 are emerging as possible dark horses in the race for a Champions League place.

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That’s right, barely nine months after avoiding relegation to the Championship, Hughes and his players are now, incredibly, eyeing a top four finish after this stunning victory raised both hopes and expectations at a spellbound Ewood Park last night.

This was an edge-of-your-seat encounter that had everything - great goals, shocking defending, controversial refereeing decisions, gripping drama, and passion by the bucket load.

However, it will ultimately be remembered for Bentley’s awesome contribution, the former England Under 21 international scoring a quite magnificent hat-trick just 24 hours after signing a three-and-a-half-year contract with the club.

Nights like these usually come along only once in a player’s career and Bentley seized his opportunity with great aplomb, becoming the first Blackburn player to score a top flight hat-trick against the Red half of Manchester.

And to think, talk of a striker crisis had filled the air outside Ewood in the build-up to kick-off!

Bentley was only pressed into service as an emergency centre forward because of injuries to Craig Bellamy and Paul Dickov, but he took his goals like a seasoned poacher.

If Rovers continue to perform like this between now and the end of the campaign talk of qualifying for the Champions League is not as fanciful as it may sound.

As things stand, Rovers are four points adrift of Tottenham, who occupy that coveted fourth spot, with a game in hand.

But, crucially, Hughes’ side have already played four of the top five away from home and most of their rivals for a European place also have the added distraction of cup commitments, which is sure to put extra strain on their resources during the run-in.

Rovers are, therefore, in the perfect position to pounce on any slip-ups by the teams above, and the way they continue to accumulate points in the league - they have now taken 16 from a possible 18 in their last six games - means confidence is growing by the week.

This latest victory was all the more impressive when you consider Rovers had crashed out of two separate cup competitions in the previous seven days.

That would have crushed the spirit of most teams, but not Rovers, who, if anything, seemed to be galvanised by those exits.

I can’t remember seeing a Blackburn side put more effort in to win a match than they did here, and no-one epitomised that work-ethic more than Steven Reid and Robbie Savage, two yard-dogs in Hughes’ midfield.

Sir Alex Ferguson later bitterly complained about Rovers’ overtly physical approach, but that was sour grapes on the United manager’s part.

Instead, Fergie should have been rebuking his own players for failing to stand up to the physical challenge.

All eyes were on the midfield duel between Savage and Rio Ferdinand after they were at the centre of the much publicised tunnel bust-up at Old Trafford last week, and it wasn’t long before they crossed swords again.

Savage got his dig in first when he barged into the England international after 70 seconds, which resulted in a United free kick.

Ferdinand then retorted with a strong challenge of his own three minutes later and so the tone was set for the rest of the night.

In between those early skirmishes, referee Phil Dowd was conned into giving United a ludicrous free kick on the edge of the box when Ronaldo collapsed in a heap following a fresh air shot but, fortunately, Kieran Richardson spurned the opportunity.

United began to look menacing as the half wore on, Louis Saha volleying wide after clever work by Wayne Rooney.

But just when it looked like United were taking a stranglehold, Rovers had the audacity to strike with their first meaningful attack in the 35th minute.

Morten Gamst Pedersen, twice the scourge of the Reds this season, was inevitably at the hub of things, striking a brilliant free kick from 25 yards that Edwin van der Sar could only claw onto a post and Bentley squeezed the rebound between the Dutchman and Wes Brown from two yards out.

United hit back within three minutes, Rooney’s right-foot rocket producing a jaw-dropping save from Friedel, but the suspiciously offside Saha poked home the rebound.

The visitors’ joy was short-lived, though, as a dreadful mix-up between Ferdinand and van der Sar - what was that about Laurel and Hardy? - then gifted Bentley his second of the night.

Worse was to come for United deep into stoppage time as Reid’s cross struck Brown on the hand and Dowd pointed to the spot on the advice of his assistant.

Step forward Lucas Neill, who coolly stroked home his penalty.

After the break, Friedel made a breathtaking save to deny Rooney before Bentley put Rovers in dreamland in the 56th minute when he confidently fired past Van Der Sar after seizing onto Savage’s clever flick.

At that point, Rovers looked home and dry but a mistake by Andy Todd led to a tap-in for Ruud Van Nistelrooy, and the Dutchman then scored again in the 68th minute to set the home fans’ nerves jangling.

But, for all their huffing and puffing, United couldn’t breach Rovers’ defence again in a nerve-wracking finale and their misery was then compounded when Ferdinand saw red in the 87th minute for a late lunge on Savage.

What a night to be a Blackburn supporter!