Blackburn Rovers 5-0 Wycombe Wanderers: Adam Armstrong scores hat-trick for hosts
- Published
Adam Armstrong (right) has scored five goals in his first four appearances in league and cup for Blackburn this season
Adam Armstrong's hat-trick and a first senior goal for Tyrhys Dolan helped Blackburn sweep past Wycombe for their first Championship win of the new season.
Armstrong scored twice either side of 18-year-old Dolan's goal as Rovers went 3-0 up inside 33 minutes at Ewood Park.
Darius Charles was sent off for Wycombe 12 minutes after half-time when Armstrong was sent through on goal, before Derrick Williams added a fourth.
Armstrong completed his hat-trick seven minutes from time to finish the rout.
It was a rude reminder for Wycombe of the step up in standard they face after winning promotion to the second tier via the League One play-offs last season.
Any hope of a comeback was ended shortly after the break as Charles pulled down Armstrong but, by then, Wycombe were already three goals down.
Blackburn took the lead after 16 minutes as Dolan was brought down in the penalty area and Armstrong, who scored 17 goals last season and netted in last weekend's 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth, sent the spot-kick into the bottom-right corner.
Dolan, who joined Blackburn after not being offered a professional contract by Preston, then doubled the lead four minutes later at the second attempt after his first effort was well saved.
Armstrong added a third before half-time, finishing a swift counter-attack from a Wycombe corner by turning home Joe Rothwell's low cross.
Blackburn twisted the knife against 10 men as Williams poked home a shot that was palmed away following a corner and Armstrong then applied the coup de grace.
John Buckley's pass split Wycombe's tired defence and Armstrong slotted home for his hat-trick.
Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I said beforehand this is a dangerous game. I knew they would be difficult to play against, as it was for the first 10 minutes, nobody put a pass together.
"Adam was actually a bit disappointed because he could have scored more.
"The quality of the goals in the first half was fantastic and the strikers were clinical.
"Wycombe will give teams problems if they're not ready for what's coming. But I like to think they came up against a side whose intensity from the start of the season has been fantastic."
Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"In the first 15 minutes we were in the game, but three chances for Blackburn and they scored all three and that's how it's going to be in the Championship.
"It's a positive this has happened now because I really want the boys to know what it's like to play in this league.
"We've been taught a bit of a lesson here today. That clinical prowess in front of goal blew us away."