Robert Green's England credentials looked decidedly shaky as the Norwich keeper suffered something of a horror show against Blackburn.

Green is currently the England number three but he hardly looked international class as he could have done better with all Rovers' goals - two from Paul Dickov and an exceptional opener from Morten Gamst Pedersen.

The win, Blackburn's best of the season, means there is now an eight-point gap between Mark Hughes' side and today's opponents, who remain third from bottom.

Norwich manager Nigel Worthington may have anticipated a confrontation with the supposed bullies of the Premiership playground but the fight could hardly have been cleaner, and there was a degree of self-infliction about the three telling blows.

The first, from Pedersen, saw Green get two hands the shot, the second was a near-post flick at a corner, and the third could definitely be laid at the keeper's door as he made a terrible mess of his save.

No wonder Hughes, who had been riled by Worthington's less-than-complimentary remarks about Blackburn's "bully boy" tactics, looked satisfied at the final whistle.

With freak weather conditions - a strong, swirling wind, then a violent hailstorm, then bright sunshine - the quality of the play improved as the match progressed.

Long-ball tactics dominated at first and both sides looked reluctant to try much pretty stuff.

A kick out by Norwich keeper Robert Green should have led to Darren Huckerby giving the visitors the lead. Aaron Mokoena completely misjudged his header and the ball bounced over him into Huckerby's path only for the Canaries striker to let off Blackburn with a hopeless miskick.

Norwich were to threaten again when Dean Ashton chested a long pass back to Damien Francis but the midfielder scuffed his strike and it was easy for Brad Friedel.

Blackburn's first glimpse of the target came after 15 minutes - another long ball, another knock-down - and Pedersen volleyed over.

But long balls can be creative too, and so it proved as Tugay produced a raking pass out to Pedersen on the left.

The Norwegian's deft header took the ball past Simon Charlton and he strode on to hammer a venomous shot past Green, though the keeper may be disappointed that having got hands on it he was unable to keep it out.

Jim Brennan was the next Norwich player to be guilty of missing a sitter. Huckerby beat the offside trap, lured the Rovers defenders towards him and then put a chance on a pate for Brennan, eight yards from goal but somehow he sliced his shot and was left hanging his head in embarrassment.

Norwich continued to scythe through the home defence and Ashton ran through before striking a drive from 20 yards not only did Friedel parry it, but got enough force on his clearance to take the ball beyond the lurking Graham Stuart.

Dickov brought a decent save out of Green from the right of the box, then Tugay became the first player booked for hacking down Ashton after some awful dithering by the Blackburn defence. It could have proved more costly but Stuart's free-kick was straight at Friedel.

Pedersen came closer from similar range, Green tipping the free-kick around the post, but from the corner Blackburn made it 2-0.

The goal owed everything to Pedersen's wicked delivery and Dickov's run to get the slightest of flicks and send the ball in a blur past Green at the near post.

Both managers tried to influence the course of the match by making changes at the break.

Hughes brought on Lucas Neill for Mokoena, who had looked uncomfortable at centre-back, while Worthington tried a three-man attack with Leon McKenzie replacing Brennan.

The first chance fell to Blackburn but Dickov tried to be a bit too clever by ignoring a simple cut-back to Pedersen and Gallagher and opting for a flick at goal that trickled wide.

Dickov deepened the gloom for the visitors when mistakes by Ashton and Green led to the little Scot scoring again.

Ashton's attempted cross-field pass was cut out by Gallagher who picked out Dickov on the edge of the area. His shot could hardly be called tricky but somehow Green allowed it to sneak in under his dive.

Tugay then had a lovely half-volley deflected wide after Pedersen had flighted in another tricky corner, before David Thompson was denied from 30 yards by another block.

Green finally showed his England class in the dying minutes with a terrific double save to deny Steven Reid and then parry the follow-up from Gallagher, but that will have been of little solace.

Blackburn: Friedel, Nelsen, Todd, Mokoena (Neill 45), Johansson, Emerton (Reid 70), Tugay, Savage (Thompson 76), Pedersen, Dickov, Gallagher.

Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Johnson.

Booked: Tugay, Neill.

Goals: Pedersen 17, Dickov 39, 62.

Norwich: Green, Charlton (Safri 76), Fleming, Doherty, Drury, Stuart, Holt, Francis, Brennan (McKenzie 45), Ashton, Huckerby.

Subs Not Used: Gallacher, McVeigh, Shackell.

Booked: Francis.

Att: 20,923

Ref: S Dunn (Gloucestershire).