Blackburn Rovers 4-0 Peterborough United: Brereton Diaz double helps Blackburn thump Posh
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Ben Brereton Diaz's first goal on 35 minutes at Ewood Park was a personal nightmare for Posh defender Nathan Thompson
Blackburn Rovers made it five wins from their last seven home games as they scored three first-half goals on the way to seeing off Peterborough United.
In-form Chile international Ben Brereton Diaz made it 11 goals in as many games as he took his tally for the season to 16 - and Rovers defenders Harry Pickering and Darragh Lenihan also netted with headers.
Rovers, beaten 7-0 at home by Fulham on their last night game at Ewood Park three weeks ago, took only 16 minutes to trigger another goal parade of their own when Pickering nodded home John Buckley's cross on his 150th career league start.
But the second Rovers goal was a horror show for visiting defender Nathan Thompson, who twice tried to dribble his way out of trouble, only to get robbed by Tyrhys Dolan, who broke clear, squared to his right for Brereton Diaz to score.
On the stroke of half-time it was 3-0 when Joe Rothwell swung over a free-kick from the right and Lenihan stole in unmarked at the far post to head low past goalkeeper David Cornell.
Brereton Diaz then wrapped it up on the hour when Posh again clumsily lost possession, Rothwell clipped a nice long ball down the inside-left channel - and the Rovers top scorer ran on to finish.
Darren Ferguson's Posh remain in the bottom three, two points adrift of safety, and have now lost nine of their 10 away games this season.
Their miserable night was best summed up late on when, from their best chance, Jonson Clarke-Harris directed a free header straight at Rovers goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski from six yards out.
They now face a key game on Saturday when they host fellow strugglers Barnsley.
Tony Mowbray's Blackburn, who are up to seventh, go to fifth-placed Stoke City, who were surprisingly beaten at Bristol City.
Blackburn defender Darragh Lenihan's header on the stroke of half-time was a killer blow for Peterborough
Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"We worked hard, scored some good goals, and I'm delighted for the defence at keeping a clean sheet. It was a very professional performance.
"I told Ben Brereton at half-time I was going to bring him off in the second half. The game was done - and there was no need to keep him on.
"It was important that we got the intensity right, that we got the adrenaline levels right. If you don't approach a game that with the right mentality, they can be banana skins for you. But I was really pleased with the attitude and the approach, and the desire and commitment.
"What is good about this football team at the moment is that we have some amazing human beings who love football. They want to learn, ask questions, watch all of their clips. They are brilliant kids. They want to learn and get better. It's great to work with them."
Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson:
"Something has to change. It's a very disappointing result and a very disappointing performance.
"You're very much in the game, and then the first goal, the boy runs across our centre-half and heads it in.
"The second goal is a stupid mistake, whereas the other ones, I've seen before. Third goal, set-piece. You're well in the game, we nearly equalised at 1-0, and then 2-0 and then before you know it, 3-0. And you're seeing the same thing. A set-piece goal.
"We started well but I'm repeating myself. Another game we haven't scored a goal. Another game we haven't kept a clean sheet, another away loss."