Tony Mowbray said he didn’t want a tight affair in the Carabao Cup tie at Carlisle United and was rewarded with a five-star display.

Adam Armstrong and Bradley Dack both scored twice, with Rovers 2-0 up inside six minutes, while Kasey Palmer got his first goal in Rovers colours.

Hallam Hope had reduced the arrears to 2-1 midway through the first-half before another quickfire double from Mowbray’s side put the game beyond doubt by half-time.

And the boss said: “I enjoyed bits of it but there were bits I didn’t enjoy as well.

“They had too many shots for my liking and the game was a bit open.

“The team I picked allowed that to happen but I was very conscious of playing five attackers that it wasn’t going to be a 0-0 and go to penalties.

“We came here to try and blow them away and it looks like we did, although they played well and had a few efforts at our goal.

“As I’ve always said, football is about balance, how many soldiers and how many artists and we cane through this one but there won’t be many times I’ll be playing five attackers in a game."

Dack scored twice and laid on two assists in an excellent personal display.

Mowbray made just four changes from the team which drew with Millwall on Saturday, and on the decision to name a strong team, the boss added: “Quality makes a difference.

“It would have been easy to not play Bradley Dack but he makes the difference because he’s a very, very good footballer.

“That’s why I picked him rather than giving him a rest and sitting him at home because I know in games like this they can be tight affairs because they will work really hard.

“If you look at the results there were a lot of really tight games, I think eight went to penalties, I just didn’t want that to be the game tonight.

“So we gambled tonight and it paid gambled.

“They played well but they don’t have a Bradley Dack in their team and class makes a difference.

“I don’t feel as though there are any problems over fitness or them over exerting themselves.

“For me it helps them understand the work ethic of what’s required to win football matches.”