The Rovers juggernaut keeps motoring on as Ben Brereton scored twice in a 4-0 win over Birmingham City that moved them up to third in the table.

A fifth consecutive victory, and eighth in their last 10 matches, moved Rovers up to 42 points and ahead of West Bromwich Albion.

They are now just a point outside of the automatic promotion places at the halfway mark of the season after another imperious performance.

John Buckley put them ahead in the first half before Reda Khadra doubled the advantage early in the second half. Brereton scored from the spot, and then a late tap-in, to move him to 19 goals for the season.

A fifth clean sheet arrived, the first time Rovers have enjoyed such a run since January 1997, with Rovers set to spend Christmas Day third in the Championship.

Thomas Kaminski returned as the one Rovers change, but there were Covid-enforced absences from the squad for Jordan Eastham and Tyrhys Dolan.

Rovers led inside six minutes, a fine move from back to front creating the opportunity for John Buckley to score his first goal since January. Jan Paul van Hecke hit a perfect cross-field pass that was chested down by Ryan Nyambe and when his cross was palmed away by Matija Sarkic, Buckley was on hand to sweep home the rebound.

It was a positive start for Rovers who were looking threatening from the off, with Blues ‘keeper Sarkic struggling. He made a mess of an 18th minute Joe Rothwell corner, with Scott Wharton unable to turn home from 12 yards out on the stretch.

Reda Khadra had got the nod over Sam Gallagher to continue alongside Ben Brereton and was looking sharp at the top end of the pitch, one fine cross from the right beaten away by Sarkic but only as far as Buckley who snatched at his shot wide of the target.

The corner count was rising for Rovers who, with their three centre halves up from the back, were looking dangerous as van Hecke and Lenihan both got their head to Rothwell deliveries without being able to guide them on target.

A short corner just after the half hour saw Buckley have an effort blocked before Lenihan hooked over when the ball landed his way at the far post.

It seemed comfortable for Rovers only for the visitors to sound a warning through Chuks Aneke. A poor Kaminski kick was laid off to Aneke whose thunderbolt from distance had the Belgian rooted to the spot as his shot hit the top of the crossbar.

The game remained comfortable in every aspect but the scoreline, a right-wing cross in the third added minute was flicked on by Troy Deeney and just out of the reach of the sliding Aneke.

Rovers took their advantage into the break, with Birmingham making their second change, after losing Marc Roberts to injury in the first half, as Maxime Colin replaced Jordan Graham.

It was Rovers who had the first opening of the second half, Rothwell getting beyond Ben Brereton to collect his pass and have a go at goal, with Sarkic beating it away at his near post.

The second half was seven minutes old when Rovers did double their lead. Lenihan slipped in Khadra who the pace to get away from the defence, the technique to round Sarkic and then the composure to wait for the right moment to roll the ball into the net.

A chance for a third arrived with the next attack, Rothwell delivering an expert cross from the right that Khadra couldn’t get a nod to at the near post, nor Brereton at the far, as Birmingham somehow escaped.

By the time the hour mark Rovers did have a third. Rothwell and Brereton were again at the thick of it, Brereton running clear of George Friend and then Sarkic who could do nothing other than bring him down. Brereton picked up the ball and slotted it into the corner, sending the ‘keeper the wrong way, to claim goal number 18 of the season.

Birmingham looked a beaten side, but did threaten a goal back when Riley McGree had a go from a 20-yard free kick, Kaminski beating that away and then claiming the rebound when it looped in the air.

The Belgian was then required to save from Lukas Jutkiewicz as the substitute took aim when under pressure from Pickering.

Tony Mowbray had the luxury of making changes, Sam Gallagher, Dan Butterworth and Bradley Johnson on in the places of Buckley, Khadra and Rothwell.

Butterworth went within inches of scoring his first senior goal 13 minutes from time. He drove towards goal before letting fly from 25 yards, Sarkic well beaten only to see it crack the bar.

Substitutes Johnson and Butterworth then linked up for the moment Rovers did grab their fourth seconds later. Found by Johnson in the inside left channel his cross was intended for Brereton in the middle, and despite the sliding Pedersen getting a touch, Brereton was able to nod in just before it crossed the line.

Rovers were desperate to hold on to a clean sheet but had a let off eight minutes from time as Jordan James ghosted in behind to meet a Jutkiewicz cross but couldn’t guide it on target.

Brereton was in the mood for a second hat-trick of the season and went within a whisker of that, an audacious chip from the edge of the box that clipped the bar on its way over the top.

Rovers: Kaminski, Nyambe, Lenihan, van Hecke, Wharton, Pickering, Travis, Rothwell (Johnson, 73), Buckley (Gallagher, 62), Khadra (Butterworth, 68), Brereton

Subs: Pears, Ayala, Davenport, Clarkson

Birmingham: Sarkic, Sanderson, Roberts (Bela, 37), Friend, Pedersen, James, Sunjic, McGree, Graham (Colin, 46), Aneke (Jutkiewicz, 66), Deeney

Subs: Etheridge, Woods, Hogan, Hall