Blackburn Rovers completed a league double over Burnley with almost contemptuous ease at Ewood park yesterday and, in doing so, Graeme Souness's side not only reaffirmed their metamorphosis from pampered fat-cats to mean predators but moved into the automatic promotion places for the first time this season.
With two games in hand over third-placed Bolton Wanderers the chances are that is where they will remain and, with the tawdry days of Brian Kidd's tenure now a dim memory, Blackburn are slowly but surely re-emerging as a potent force.
"Success for us is getting out of this division and we've got ourselves in the right position now," said Souness. "We will probably have to win seven of our last 10 games and we will be going into every one as if it is the last game of our lives."
The catalyst arrived via an unlikely source. Before yesterday Craig Short had not scored for five years, yet before halftime he had opened Blackburn's account and played a decisive part in Steve Davis putting into his own net.
Two goals from Matt Jansen after the interval did not flatter the hosts and, when the substitute Craig Hignett rattled in a fifth, Blackburn had registered their most comprehensive post-war victory over their old foes.
Alan Quinn will miss Sheffield Wednesday's battle to beat the drop as he has been ruled out for the rest of the season after breaking his left leg in yesterday's derby against Sheffield United. The Republic of Ireland under-21 international was stretchered off in the 37th minute of Wednesday's 2-1 defeat after what appeared to be a seemingly innocuous challenge from Keith Curle.
Blackburn: Friedel, Curtis, McAteer (Hignett 67), Short, Berg (Hughes 73), Flitcroft, Dunn, Duff (Bjornebye 30), Mahon, Jansen, Bent. Subs Not Used: Kelly, Berkovic. Goals: Short 15, Davis 29 og, Jansen 55, 70, Hignett 82.
Burnley: Michopoulos, Davis, Thomas, Cox, Weller, Branch (Smith 45), Little, Cook, Ball (Payton 60), Taylor, Moore (Armstrong 73). Subs Not Used: Crichton, Maylett. Booked: Weller, Little.
Referee: A Butler (Sutton-in-Ashfield).
