Blackburn Rovers were dealt a massive blow in their hopes of survival after serving up a terrible performance which saw them beaten 5-0 by Bristol City.

Having made steps in the right direction over the last four games, this was three backwards for John Eustace's side. They were second-best from minute one and gave away some terrible goals.

Dom Hyam endured a tough night with three bad errors which directly led to goals. The first of which was a slack back pass which was intercepted by Tommy Conway and fired into the bottom corner.

The second followed shortly after. Callum Brittain miss controlled the ball but Hyam was rash with his challenge, bringing down Mark Sykes and handing Bristol City a penalty.

At 2-0 down, Rovers had a mountain to climb and it could've been worse had Scott Twine not passed up a great opportunity to make it three after getting in-behind.

Eustace made tactical and personnel changes to try and change the pattern but it was to little avail. They created just one chance of note as Sam Szmodics turned wide.

Bristol City then made the points safe with a quickfire double. Substitute Annis Mehmeti profited from a Hyam slip and fired into the corner before Kyle McFadzean handled and allowed Nakhi Wells to make it four. The striker then added a fifth at the back post in stoppage time.

This was by far Rovers' worst performance under Eustace and they were soundly beaten. They will need a huge upturn in performance to avoid nothing pasting at Leeds United on Saturday.

After Tuesday night's results, Rovers knew victory would all but secure their place in the Championship for next season.

The gap was cut from four to three overnight, with Sheffield Wednesday coming from two down to draw 2-2 with Norwich City. 

Few matches in April bring surprises but a trip to Ashton Gate had the ability to serve up many outcomes. Bristol City have been dangling their feet in the water and walking around in sandals for a while now but recent wins over Southampton and Leicester City here were a warning of their capabilities.

But, like Sunderland, this was a fixture many would have ringed as 'winnable' considering the well-documented difficulty of Rovers' run-in. With a 65-hour turnaround before kick-off at Elland Road, this was the big opportunity of the week to get points on the board.

Without the services of Ryan Hedges, Eustace handed Dilan Markanday a first league start since December. That was the solitary change with 16-year-old Igor Tyjon named on the bench for the first time.

Bristol City may have been the ones with little to play for but they started the match with the greater intensity. The Robins popped the ball around and dominated the early stages.

They went close twice through Scott Twine. He first shot wide after a creative free-kick routine and then saw a shot deflected past the post after Haydon Roberts' cross was only half-cleared.

It took 15 minutes but Rovers slowly worked their way into the match. Their best opening of the half came for Szmodics but he opted to try and find Sam Gallagher rather than shoot whilst Markanday couldn't get enough pace behind his shot.

The defining moment of the half was the opening goal and a complete gift for Bristol City. Hyam completely miscued his pass back to the goalkeeper and Conway nipped in, finishing low into the corner.

It was a shocking error and set the tone for the rest of the first half as Bristol City ran riot. The second goal was not far behind and it was another terrible concession.

Brittain made the first error, allowing the ball to slip under his foot before Hyam brought down Sykes in the area. It was an uncharacteristically rash challenge and a clear penalty despite the hesitance of referee Bobby Madley.

Conway stepped up and sent Aynsley Pears the wrong way, giving Rovers a mountain to climb. 

It could've been even worse before the half-time whistle. Conway fed Twine and he should've scored but poked wide. Pears was called into action again to deny Conway after a loose backpass by Harry Pickering.

A two-goal deficit was a relief for Rovers at the break after a huge drop in performance level. Perhaps a suggestion that this squad can't cope with a tighter schedule of three games in a week.

Eustace responded with four changes at half-time, underlining his dissatisfaction. He changed the shape to 3-4-3 to match up their opponents with Kyle McFadzean, John Buckley, Ben Chrisene and Andrew Moran all called upon.

The changes did not have an instant impact, though. Rovers were more solid out of possession but lacked the necessary zip or quality to open Bristol City up.

With a two-goal lead, the Robins were quite happy to sit deeper and invite their visitors on to them. They dropped their tempo and asked the question as to whether Rovers had the gumption to break them down.

It took until the 70th minute for Rovers to fashion their first serious opening. Szmodics was played through on goal but, under pressure from his marker, turned his shot wide. A missed opportunity for the division's top-scorer but the defender did just enough to put him off.

That proved to be the last chance Rovers would have to salvage the game as Bristol City ended any hope of a comeback.

It was another moment that Hyam won't want to see again. The defender slipped inside the box and presented the ball to Mehmeti who put the game beyond doubt.

Things would go from bad to worse moments later. McFadzean was penalised for handball and that gave Wells the chance to make it four from the spot which he duly took.

He then made it five in time add on, tapping in at the back post. Rovers could hardly suggest the scoreline was unjust.

After four very credible and competitive displays, this was a complete abandonment of those core principles. The team were easy to play against, second to every ball and blunt in attack.

The changes at half-time did not have the desired effect. Instead, they took away any hope of Rovers getting themselves back into the match. Eustace's logic was understandable but instead, it played a role in a fourth game in five without scoring.

Rovers are three points above the relegation zone with four games to play but it doesn't get any easier with a trip to Leeds on Saturday. They will need a completely different level of performance to avoid further embarrassment.