Blackburn swept aside Burnley to coast to their biggest win of the season and complete the double over their arch rivals.

The hosts gave Burnley a football lesson on an afternoon to savour for Rovers fans.

Two goals from Matt Jansen and further strikes from Craig Hignett and Craig Short as well as an own goal from Burnley captain Steve Davis completed the rout.

But Blackburn, now very much in the automatic promotion frame, could have won by many more.

Burnley were very much second best from first whistle to last.

Short got the ball rolling for Rovers in the 13th minute when he got the final touch to a shot from David Dunn to deflect the ball home.

Short was involved again in the 18th minute, racing down the left before attempting a cross which Davis inadvertently guided into his own net.

Burnley thought they had reduced the deficit eight minutes from half-time, but Ian Moore's effort was disallowed for offside.

In the second half Blackburn played like a team already promoted.

Brilliant work down the left by Marcus Bent enabled Matt Jansen to add a third in the 56th minute.

Jansen struck again after 71 minutes with an exquisite finish after Alan Mahon had done the spade work.

Substitute Hignett completed the scoring six minutes from time, rifling a right-foot shot beyond Nik Michopoulos.

Had it not been for their Greek goalkeeper, Burnley would have lost by many more.

Blackburn had a couple of penalty appeals waved away as their eager forwards swarmed around the Burnley box.

The Clarets had no answer as Blackburn went for the throat, and Bent could consider himself unlucky not to get among the scorers.

Burnley did not manage a single attempt at the Rovers goal in the second half, so dominated by the hosts that it bordered on a humiliation for the men from Turf Moor.

Teams

Blackburn: Friedel, Curtis, McAteer (Hignett 67), Short, Berg (Hughes 73), Flitcroft, Dunn, Duff (Bjornebye 30), Mahon, Jansen, Bent.

Subs Not Used: Kelly, Berkovic.

Goals: Short 15, Davis 29 og, Jansen 55, 70, Hignett 82.

Burnley: Michopoulos, Davis, Thomas, Cox, Weller, Branch (Smith 45), Little, Cook, Ball (Payton 60), Taylor, Moore (Armstrong 73).

Subs Not Used: Crichton, Maylett.

Booked: Weller, Little.

Att: 23,442

Ref: A Butler (Sutton-in-Ashfield).