Sheffield Wednesday 4-2 Blackburn Rovers: Steve Bruce's side continue play-off charge

Sheffield Wednesday continued their surge towards the play-offs as they saw off Blackburn Rovers at Hillsborough to extend their unbeaten run to 11 games.

Steven Fletcher gave the Owls an early lead, and second-half goals from Atdhe Nuhiu, Dominic Iorfa and Marco Matias maintained their impressive run since Steve Bruce took over last month.

Rovers pulled goals back through Craig Conway and Elliott Bennett, but their leaky defence cost them dearly again - they have conceded more away goals than any other Championship side.

The result left Bruce's side just two points short of the play-off places, while Blackburn slip a place to 17th in the table.

Wednesday were on top from the first whistle and went ahead in the 10th minute when Iorfa delivered a low cross for Fletcher to turn in from close range.

The home side should have stretched their advantage almost immediately as Adam Reach forced a save from David Raya, then saw another effort rebound for Michael Hector to head against the post.

Blackburn improved as the game went on and Bradley Dack and Danny Graham both went close before Nuhiu - who had only been on the field for two minutes - made it 2-0, heading in Barry Bannan's free-kick on the hour.

Rovers substitute Conway halved the deficit, collecting Joe Rothwell's pass and curling a shot into the far corner, but the Owls made the points safe with two more goals in quick succession.

Bannan set up both of them, delivering another free-kick that Iorfa scrambled home and then playing a ball through for Matias to make it 4-1.

Bennett netted a late consolation for Blackburn, picking up Dack's lay-off and finding space to beat Westwood.

Sheffield Wednesday boss Steve Bruce told BBC Sheffield:

"We took our chances at the right time. On our first real attack we scored and that calmed everybody down a bit - and just at the right times we've scored again. It should have been more comfortable than what it turned out to be.

"Blackburn are very decent up the top end of the pitch and they've been going along very nicely up until the last month or so. You can't underestimate any team and, make no mistake, Blackburn caused us a few problems.

"The bit of quality we've showed down the right from Dom (Iorfa) - maybe I'm playing him in the wrong position! He's made one goal and got another and I'm delighted he's settled in so well.

"There were one or two things that alarmed me later on - we went a bit deep too quickly and couldn't get to the ball quick enough and that was a concern."

Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray told BBC Lancashire:

"It's very easy for people to say it's been terrible, but I know for a fact it hasn't been terrible.

"The results have been terrible, of course, but the team hasn't. There's been practically no drop off, I would suggest.

"Missing (Darragh) Lenihan has caused us problems in an area where we need his power and his ability to go and deal with the first ball. Without him, we haven't had the ability to do that."