Jacob Brown's fourth-minute strike proved the winner for Stoke at Blackburn
Blackburn missed their chance to move into the Championship play-off spots with a 1-0 home defeat by Stoke City.
Jacob Brown's fourth-minute strike proved enough for the Potters, who made it four wins in their last six games.
The striker's calm finish past Thomas Kaminski gave Stoke a dream start and neither side was able to add any further goals.
Blackburn have now won once in their last nine games and have dropped to eighth in the table - two points outside the top six - with three games remaining, while Stoke moved up to 14th in the table on 58 points.
The away side made the dream start when Josh Maja's first-time pass set Brown through on the Blackburn goal, with the striker slotting past Kaminski to score his 13th goal of the season.
Jack Bonham saved well from Ben Brereton Diaz at a tight angle before clawing away a looped header from Sam Gallagher.
Gallagher's curled effort struck the crossbar as time ticked down for the hosts.
Blackburn almost made their hard work pay deep into stoppage time with Bonham somehow keeping out substitute Ryan Hedges' point-blank header, with Brereton Diaz hitting the side-netting with the rebound.
- Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text
Line-upsBlackburn
Formation 3-4-1-2
1Kaminski26Lenihan25van Hecke16Wharton2Nyambe27Travis4Johnson3Pickering10Dolan9Gallagher22Brereton Díaz
- 1Kaminski26Lenihan25van HeckeBooked at 34minsSubstituted forRothwellat 45'minutes16WhartonBooked at 32mins2Nyambe27Travis4JohnsonSubstituted forBuckleyat 67'minutes3Pickering10DolanSubstituted forHedgesat 76'minutes9Gallagher22Brereton Díaz
Substitutes
- 5Ayala8Rothwell11Rankin-Costello13Pears19Hedges21Buckley23Dack
Stoke
Formation 3-1-4-2
13Bonham16Wilmot19Jagielka24Harwood-Bellis4Allen2Smith42Baker28Sawyers14Tymon33Maja18Brown
- 13Bonham16Wilmot19Jagielka24Harwood-Bellis4Allen2SmithBooked at 56mins42Baker28SawyersSubstituted forPhilogene-Bidaceat 78'minutes14Tymon33MajaBooked at 23minsSubstituted forFletcherat 85'minutes18Brown
Substitutes
- 5Chester8Vrancic9Fletcher10Campbell12Bursik32Wright-Phillips47Philogene-Bidace
Referee:Geoff EltringhamAttendance:30,428Match StatsHome TeamBlackburnAway TeamStokePossessionHome48%Away52%ShotsHome13Away7Shots on TargetHome4Away2CornersHome1Away3FoulsHome13Away12Live TextPost update
Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 0, Stoke City 1.
90'+4'Full Time
Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 0, Stoke City 1.
90'+3'Post update
Attempt missed. Ben Brereton Díaz (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left.
90'+3'Post update
Attempt saved. Ryan Hedges (Blackburn Rovers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lewis Travis with a cross.
90'+1'Post update
Offside, Blackburn Rovers. Darragh Lenihan tries a through ball, but Ben Brereton Díaz is caught offside.
90'Post update
Attempt blocked. Sam Gallagher (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Joe Rothwell.
89'Post update
Attempt blocked. John Buckley (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Sam Gallagher.
89'Post update
Attempt blocked. Jacob Brown (Stoke City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
89'Post update
Attempt saved. Jacob Brown (Stoke City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Josh Tymon.
86'Post update
Attempt missed. Sam Gallagher (Blackburn Rovers) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Lewis Travis with a cross.
85'Post update
Foul by Tommy Smith (Stoke City).
85'Post update
John Buckley (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
85'Substitution
Substitution, Stoke City. Steven Fletcher replaces Josh Maja.
84'Post update
Sam Gallagher (Blackburn Rovers) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the left side of the box. Assisted by John Buckley.
83'Post update
Attempt blocked. Jacob Brown (Stoke City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lewis Baker.
81'Post update
Attempt saved. Sam Gallagher (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ryan Hedges.
80'Post update
Foul by Josh Tymon (Stoke City).
80'Post update
Ryan Hedges (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
78'Substitution
Substitution, Stoke City. Jaden Philogene-Bidace replaces Romaine Sawyers.
77'Post update
Offside, Blackburn Rovers. John Buckley tries a through ball, but Sam Gallagher is caught offside.
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Source: bbc.com