Report: Adam Armstrong scores hat-trick as Rovers run riot

Three goals in six second half minutes killed the game as a contest, something Rovers could have done by half-time were their finishing more clinical.

The game looked over as a contest when Armstrong and Ben Brereton were on target, but a Ryan Nyambe own goal on the stroke of half time offered the Terriers a glimmer of hope.

However, Rovers flexed their attacking muscle in the second half, Armstrong on target twice either side of a Sam Gallagher goal as Tony Mowbray’s side made it back-to-back Ewood victories for the first time since November.

Their margin of victory didn’t flatter them, good value for the points and their goals against an out-of-sorts Huddersfield who played in Rovers’ hands by offering space in behind their defence.

They did pose Rovers issues at times, and scored a fine goal late on through Josh Koroma, but that proved to be a mere consolation.

There was a return to the side after injury for Ryan Nyambe, as well as recalls for Amari’i Bell, Lewis Travis and Ben Brereton.

A slight change in system saw Rovers adjust their midfield three to allow Joe Rothwell to play in advance of Corry Evans and Travis.

They were all in support of Armstrong who had the hosts ahead just eight minutes in. Rothwell’s left wing corner was fizzed in, and proved too much for goalkeeper Ryan Schofield who flapped the ball into the path of Armstrong who headed in for his first Ewood goal since February 12.

That came from the corner which came after a fine Schofield save, a fingertip stop denying Brereton’s effort, the forward freed by an excellent Armstrong pass.

The visitors had fired the first warning of the game however, from their first set play, full back Pipa  finding space on the edge of the box to shoot goalwards, a shot well blocked by Darragh Lenihan.

Schofield was then able to redeem himself somewhat with a good save to deny Brereton for a second time, this time in the 17th minute. Rovers were finding spaces to work in to, Armstrong teeing up Brereton whose low shot was well hit, the ‘keeper diving to his right to hang on.

Huddersfield were simply playing into Rovers’ hands, playing a risky game out from the back. It was only owing to poor finishing that they didn’t double their lead after Rothwell robbed Richard Keogh of the ball inside his own box. Armstrong unselfishly squared for Brereton who snatched at his shot which went wide of the near post.

However, he didn’t have to wait long for his next chance that he tucked away well on his left foot. Gallagher got in down the left as Huddersfield were cut wide open again, and he picked out Brereton’s run as he side-footed a shot behind Schofield.

The only concern for Rovers were the early yellow cards they had picked up, Travis in the book just three minutes as he caught Lewis O’Brien, while captain Darragh Lenihan joined him in the referee’s notebook as he pulled down Danny Ward as he tried to race through, Nyambe on the covering meaning there were never any concerns about more severe punishment.

Armstrong could have had his second of the afternoon had he got the correct contact to an excellent Bell cross, only to slip as he attempted to turn it home at the far post.

There was a looseness to the visitors’ play that was allowing Rovers to continually break forward, but not always picking out the right option with the final pass, they failed to test Schofield further.

And on the stroke of half time, the Terriers were handed a route back into the match. Josh Koroma got away from Bell to fire a ball into the six-yard area when the unfortunate Ryan Nyambe, facing his own goal, got a touch to turn it into the empty net.

That gave Huddersfield hope where it looked lost, Rovers not having taken advantage of the opportunities that came their way in the opening 45 minutes.

They looked to take that momentum into a second half which they showed more signs of life in.

But they were undone by a second Armstrong goal nine minutes after the break. Travis won, and then distributed, a throw in to set Brereton in down the right, he raced clear before squaring for Armstrong to tap home.

That came in the 54th minute, and by the hour, Rovers had scored twice more.

Armstrong was this time the provider, robbing Harry Toffolo of possession, his cut-back finding Gallagher on the edge of the box, and his shot had too much power for Schofield who couldn’t keep it out.

Rovers’ top scorer would be in on the act again on the hour, scoring his third of the game, second hat-trick of the season, and 25th of the campaign. He finished off a superb team move, involving Brereton who fed Rothwell and he squared for the unmarked striker to fire in left footed.

He wasn’t finished there, picking up the ball 25 yards out there was one thought in his mind, a dipping left foot shot requiring a fingertip Schofield save to turn it over the top.

He could do no more damage replaced as part of a quadruple substitution with 16 minutes to go, his work very much done for the day.

That came as part of a quadruple substitution, with Jacob Davenport having already come on. The midfielder fed another, Tyrhys Dolan, after another dreadful Schofield clearance, a shot from the attacker looping over the keeper, but cleared off the line by Naby Sarr.

A bolt out of the blue eight minutes from time saw the visitors grab a consolation, but it came from a fine Koroma strike, cutting in to lash home a shot from the edge of the box that left Kaminski rooted to the spot.

Rovers were still posing a threat, Dolan’s pace too much for the Terriers backline, a solo run and shot requiring Schofield to tip the ball around the post.

By then the game was long since won, but Rovers pushed for a sixth until the referee's whistle which came as a relief to the visitors.

Rovers: Kaminski, Nyambe (Bennett, 74), Lenihan, Harwood-Bellis, Bell, Evans, Travis (Davenport, 63), Rothwell (Buckley, 74), Gallagher (Elliott, 74), Armstrong (Dolan, 74), Brereton

Substitutes: Pears, Holtby, Douglas, Trybull

Huddersfield Town: Schofield, Pipa (Rowe, 57), Toffolo, Hogg (High, 68), Bacuna (Holmes, 57), O'Brien, Eiting (Aarons, 57), Keogh (Edmonds-Green, 65) Koroma, Sarr, Ward

Substitutes: Pereira, Stearman, Thomas, Sanogo