Blackburn Rovers 3-0 Rotherham United: Ben Brereton Diaz inspires win for hosts

Blackburn's Ben Brereton Diaz has now scored seven goals this season

Ben Brereton Diaz scored twice as Blackburn eased past Rotherham to inflict a first defeat on new Millers manager Matt Taylor.

The Chile international took his personal tally to seven for the season by netting a first-half penalty and then adding a second from close range, before Sammie Szmodics made it 3-0 to leave the visitors with just one win in their last seven games.

Blackburn have alternated between defeats and victories in their past seven games but will hope to end that sequence when they head to Wigan for a Lancashire derby on Tuesday.

Rovers were yet to register a goal attempt when Grant Hall's foul on Tyler Morton handed Brereton Diaz the chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot, and he sent Viktor Johansson the wrong way.

The striker doubled the lead on 64 minutes when Lewis Travis freed Szmodics down the right and his cross found Brereton Diaz, who limped off with an injury shortly afterwards.

The victory was completed in the 75th minute when Tyrhys Dolan gave Szmodics a chance and he neatly fired in the third.

Rotherham had started brightly, seeking to hand new manager Taylor his first win after they were held 1-1 by Millwall in midweek.

Oliver Rathbone forced a good save from Rovers keeper Thomas Kaminski, and after another bright attack Tom Eaves managed to beat Kaminski - only to see his shot cannon off the post, the Millers unlucky that the rebound flew too quickly at his strike partner Chiedozie Ogbene, who could not get any purchase on his header with the goal wide open.

Blackburn also survived a strong penalty appeal when Eaves' shot hit Dominic Hyam's hand, but referee Oliver Langford waved for play to continue.

The win leaves Rovers sitting outside the play-off zone, only due to Swansea having scored more goals, while Rotherham remain four points clear of the drop zone.

Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson:

"It was a great result and a great performance. I asked for a reaction from the players after Cardiff and they did that.

"We were in control for the whole game, we made some great runs, we kept possession and kept a clean sheet.

"Back at Ewood Park, we've played eight games now and have won six of them. I'm enjoying it, the fans are enjoying our results here. It was a good win, a good performance.

"We could have scored more, we were very dangerous from set-pieces and could have scored more from those. We were mainly in control and I am very pleased with our performance."

Rotherham manager Matt Taylor:

"We were excellent in the first half. We created the better chances but we needed to make them count.

"Bar defending set-pieces and the penalty, we dominated large parts of it but in the second half, their quality has exposed our weaknesses. We were a bit lifeless and lacking a bit of energy in the second half.

"It's if, buts and maybes. If we have any chance away from home, when we create, we have to score.

"No disrespect to this group of players, but the opposition is going to be more clinical, in certain moments, because of the quality they have in certain parts of pitch, and that showed in the second half."