Bristol Rovers 3-0 Burton

Bristol Rovers got back to winning ways with an emphatic victory over promotion hopefuls Burton Albion.

Striker Ryan Brunt opened the scoring early on, side-footing home Joe Anyinsah's cross.

John-Joe O'Toole doubled their lead from close range after the break and Eliot Richards lashed home a third from Ellis Harrison's cut-back.

Third-placed Burton created few chances and had goalkeeper Stuart Tomlinson to thank for keeping the score down.

In the space of a few first-half seconds he produced two good saves from defender Tom Parkes.

It was Albion's first defeat in eight games, but they remain in the automatic promotion places, while John Ward's Rovers moved up to 17th and are now six points clear of danger.

VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

Bristol Rovers manager John Ward told BBC Radio Bristol:

"What we've shown today, after a bit of adversity in the last two games, is that we've stayed strong - both mentally and physically.

"I think it's important to show that boys have played well, even in defeats here.

"Today we've put a top three team to the sword and I've been really pleased with that.

"It was a very positive approach from everybody."

Burton Albion manager Gary Rowett told BBC Radio Derby:

"I sensed we weren't quite going to have the same tempo, but it's very difficult when you've been losing games.

"If you change it and you lose 4-0 you feel you've done the wrong thing, so I just thought I'd give them the opportunity to keep going.

"After 10 or 15 minutes, we could quite conceivably be two or three down, but I thought after that we got a bit of a grip and started to create a few opportunities.

"Going in at half time 1-0 down I wasn't too upset. I just thought they might sit back and give us a chance to come onto them if we did it properly.

"But we just didn't show the same intensity levels that we've seen over the last six or seven performances."