Rovers turned in a performance that their supporters, particularly the 1,700 who braved the cold to travel to the bet365 Stadium, hoped they had eradicated.

Their unbeaten run ended in emphatic fashion, their display lacking all the things that had proven pivotal to their recent results.

Rovers looked too easy to play against for too long and struggled to halt the hosts’ momentum until their late show.

Ki-Jana Hoever’s first half double was added to by Tyrese Campbell’s strike 15 minutes from time, before Rovers launched a fightback.

Headers from Ben Brereton and Sam Gallagher, in minutes 85 and 90, saw Rovers threaten to come away with an unlikely point, but Stoke negotiated their way through the added time to see out the win.

Their late goals begged the question why they hadn’t been able to summon up that intensity much sooner.

Tomasson named an unchanged team for only the third time this season, a reflection of the fine form and also the availability within the squad.

Alex Neil had given a detailed assessment of Rovers ahead of the game and had clearly studied them closely.

Stoke were aggressive in their press, which Rovers struggled to play through.

Indeed, Tomasson’s side were as wide open as they had been for some time as Stoke dominated the midfield battle and had plenty of space in which to work.

Rovers were caught short at the back 10 minutes in, with Will Smallbone slid in unmarked, only to see his shot come crashing back off the bar.

If that was a let-off, then it wasn’t a warning that Rovers heeded, as deep crosses and switches of play continued to pose problems.

It was no surprise therefore it was via that avenue that the Potters took a 24th minute lead.

Joe Rankin-Costello lost the ball on halfway, with Stoke attacking the space he vacated as Dwight Gayle crossed for Ki-Jana Hoever, who had the run on Tyrhys Dolan, to fire home on the half volley.

Rovers were looking increasingly ragged and lacked the intensity that Tomasson would have wanted to see, and had been crucial to their winning run.

They escaped appeals for a penalty when Smallbone went down under the challenge of Dom Hyam, with the midfielder’s effort from the edge of the box denied by Pears diving away to his right soon after.

The hosts didn’t have to wait long to double their advantage however. It was a carbon copy of the first, in that it was Hoever again stealing in at the far post, but this time steering a header inside Pears’ near post.

While Rovers had escaped penalty appeals at the other end, Sam Szmodics was furious not to see a spot-kick awarded when his shot looked to have been blocked by the hand of Gayle.

That was the sign off to a poor half from Rovers who surprisingly emerged unchanged for the start of the second half.

Moments of indecision were creeping into Rovers’ play, as frustration continued to grow.

Lewis Travis lined a shot up from distance, only to see it clip the side netting, before Rovers did eventually turn to their bench on the hour.

That saw Tyler Morton, Ryan Hedges and Ben Brereton all introduced, with John Buckley, Tyrhys Dolan and Sorba Thomas the three to be replaced.

They had been on the pitch only a matter of seconds before Stoke should have wrapped it up. The hosts broke down their left, with Brown and Campbell linking up, and when the ball broke to Smallbone six yards out it was expected he would provide the finish.

Yet that didn’t match his all-round performance as he blazed the ball over the top.

Rovers were trying to build momentum, but with little success, as the game hadn’t swung in their favour as much as they would have wanted in the second half.

Good work by Travis saw Szmodics find Brereton, though he was crowded out when trying to lift the ball over Bonham.

Szmodics had a shot blocked when Morton’s corner was only half cleared, but it was slim picking in terms of Rovers’ response in trying to find a way back into the game.

There wouldn’t then be a route back into the game as Stoke made the points seem a certainty when grabbing a third goal with 15 minutes to go.

It was finished off by Campbell, slamming the ball out of reach of Pears from 12 yards after Rovers missed several chances to clear.

The goal somewhat summed up Rovers’ performance, with Stoke wanting it so much more as the impressive Josh Laurent held off two challenges in the lead-up to the goal.

Rovers finally had an attempt on target, that coming in the 85th minute, and it brought them a goal as Brereton nodded in a Callum Brittain cross.

They found themselves a second in the final minute of normal time, this time left back Pickering delivering the cross for Gallagher to glance in.

Five added minutes gave Rovers hope of the most unlikely of comebacks, but their late show proved in vain.

Stoke: Bonham, Hoever, Sterling, Tuanzebe, Fox, Smallbone, Campbell (Clucas 82'), Brown, Pearson (Thompson 81'), Laurent (Baker 88'), Gayle (Tymon 77')

Subs: Fielding, Reddin, Taylor

Blackburn: Pears, Pickering, Rankin-Costello (Brittain 84'), Carter, Hyam, Buckley (Morton 59'), Thomas (Hedges 59'), Dolan (Brereton 59'), Travis, Szmodics (Garrett 85'), Gallagher

Subs: Hilton, Phillips