ROVERS 7

(Rankin-Costello, 20) (Paton, 40) (Mols, 44) (Vale, 49, 51) (Buckley, 74) (Doyle, 85)

LEICESTER 1

(Dewsbury-Hall, 60)

Rovers moved out of the Premier League 2 relegation spots after a season best performance in a 7-1 thumping of Leicester City at Leyland.

Damien Johnson’s move up to 10th with the win which saw striker Jack Vale score twice.

Joe Rankin-Costello scored on his return to the side, with Leicester reduced to 10 men five minutes before the break. Ben Paton scored from a free kick, as Stefan Mols added a third before the break.

Vale scored twice in the space of two minutes at the start of the second half, before Leicester found a consolation.

Rovers continued to press forward in search of a sixth goal which came with 16 minutes to play through John Buckley. And they weren't done there as Charley Doyle popped up with a seventh five minutes from time.

Leicester arrived at Leyland looking to go top of the table and had a good opening three minutes in. Ryan Loft found space to drive at goal, but under pressure from the retreating Tyler Magloire, he dragged his shot wide.

Leicester, with former Rovers winger Callum Wright in their ranks, were looking dangerous in possession, but susceptible to the counter-attack.

Jack Vale saw an opening come to nothing when initially clean through, as Keirnan Dewsbury-Hall took the ball off his toe.

The goal wasn’t long in coming though. The impressive Dan Butterworth spun away from his marker to square the ball for the unmarked Joe Rankin-Costello to side-foot home from the far post.

Rovers were now beginning to take charge and went close within 60 seconds, only for Butterworth to find the side netting with his shot from a tight angle.

A set play in the 27th minute brought their next sight of goal, with Matty Platt testing Viktor Johansson with his header from a Mols corner.

Rovers continued to be too clever in the final third for the Leicester backline, with a big turning point coming six minutes before the break. Vale again got free of his marker to run through on goal, with Calvin Ughelumba bringing him down right on the edge of the box.

He was given his marching orders, with Rovers doubling their advantage from the resulting free kick. John Buckley and Mols left it to Paton who thumped an effort in to the far corner.

As spaces began to opening up, Rovers made their man advantage count just before the break as a terrific move on the edge of the box saw Buckley square for an unmarked Mols to tap home.

Any hopes Leicester had of a second half fightback were undone in the opening six minutes of the second half.

Vale got the goal he was threatening, when turning in from close range, before firing home two minutes later after good work by Rankin-Costello down the right as Rovers moved in to a 5-0 lead.

There was a moment to celebrate for the visitors on the hour mark, as Dewsbury-Hall rifled an effort from 20 yards in to the bottom corner, despite the best efforts of Andrew Fisher.

Bacup-born Matt Hames had an opening to grab a second goal, but volleyed wide a right wing cross.

Rovers’ quest for a sixth saw Butterworth glance wide a corner.

The sixth goal did come with 18 minutes to go, and courtesy of a fine counter-attack. Buckley and Mols exchanged passes allowing the former to break clear on goal, and he made no mistake when one-on-one.

Fisher made a smart stop to keep Leicester out with 10 minutes to play, moving away quickly to his right keep out an effort from Muskwe.

Rovers had made three changes as the game ticked in to the closing minutes. But they weren't resting on their laurels as Charley Doyle worked the ball out to Ben Paton whose cross was met by the advancing Doyle to head home by Johansson.

Rovers; Fisher, C Doyle, Thompson (Saadi, 65), Paton, Magloire, Platt, Rankin-Costello (Whitehall, 80), Buckley, Vale (Annesley, 72), Butterworth, Mols

Subs: Winterbottom, Piliukaitis

Leicester: Johansson, Ramsay (Husek, 46), Thomas, Sherif (Elewa-Ikpakwu, 58), Ughelumba, Pascanu, Dewsbury-Hall, James, Loft (Shade, 46), Muskwe, Wright

Subs: Bramley, Tee