Matt Murray quickly grabbed the ball after it squirmed away from Paul Butler and Dwight Yorke when the pair clashed in the six-yard box.

  Rovers poured forward in the early stages and first Matt Jansen and then David Thompson were off target with long-range efforts before Yorke drove a shot across the face of goal.

  After ten minutes it took a great tackle from Denis Irwin to stop Thompson who would otherwise have been clean through.

  The first threat from Wolves came two minutes later when Sturridge scooped the ball over the bar following a low centre from Iversen.

  Murray made a magnificent save from Jansen who headed Vratislav Gresko's cross towards goal but the keeper's effort proved to be in vain as Rovers took the lead from the corner conceded.

  Brett Emerton took the flag-kick and former Rangers star Lorenzo Amoruso sent a powerful header into the net from inside the six-yard box.

  Colin Cameron fired a yard over the bar after Iversen had laid the ball back to him but Rovers stretched their advantage in the 29^th minute after Thomson had played the ball forward to Jansen. Butler went into the tackle with Jansen but the ball broke back to Thompson and he volleyed it into the top corner.

  Martin Taylor made a good interception just as it seemed Lee Naylor's ball was heading for the unmarked Sturridge before good close control from Cameron allowed him to slip a pass to Paul Ince who, in turn, found Iversen.

  The striker looked certain to reduce the deficit but he didn't connect properly and the ball trickled through to Brad Friedel.

  The American keeper then made a good save from Cameron who had run onto Sturridge's pass, but the corner, which was taken by Silas, came to nothing with Iversen hitting a hooked shot well wide.

  Thompson was booked after clashing with Irwin who then took the free-kick conceded. Ince collected the ball after it bounced off a defender and his shot took a deflection to go out for another unproductive corner.

Half-Time: Rovers 2 Wolves 0

  The first chance of the new half came when Cameron's ball over the top found Iversen in what looked like a suspiciously offside position. The striker had a clear route to goal but his first touch let him down and the ball ran through to Friedel.

  Then a mistake by Cameron let Jansen in on goal but he hurried his shot and the ball sailed over the bar.

  But the relief was only momentary for seconds later Tugay's angled pass was flicked into the path of Emerton by Yorke and the ball flashed past the helpless Murray for the third.

  Jansen fired straight at Murray and then the young keeper made a fine double save as the Blackburn pressure continued. He pushed aside a stinging shot from Thompson and when Yorke followed up Murray saved with his foot.

  The visiting fans were making a lot more noise than Blackburn's and a chant of 'we're gonna win 4-3' echoed around the ground.

  In the 71^st minute Iversen gave them something extra to cheer about when he scored the team's first Premier League goal. Shaun Newton, playing on the left, cut inside two defenders and squared the ball to the Norwegian who hit the post and then lashed the rebound into the net.

  Murray made another fantastic save to deny Emerton before Blake and Cameron combined to set up Newton. He ran into the box and was about to shoot when Lucas Neill made a fine saving tackle.

  And, to rub salt into the wounds, seconds later, substitute Andy Cole grabbed a fourth with a fierce shot on the turn that beat Murray at his near post.

  Ciccio Grabbi, with his first touch after coming on as an 80^th minute replacement for Thompson, missed an absolute sitter after Yorke and Cole had combined to leave him unmarked in front of goal.

  At the other end, Luzhny played a good ball through to Cameron whose shot bounced clear off Taylor. Loud penalty appeals from both players, and the fans behind the goal, were waved aside by the referee.

  Blake was booked for a late, high challenge on Taylor and then Murray was in action again saving an angled shot from Yorke who was clean through.

  But the agony continued for Wanderers and three minutes from the end Cole beat the offside trap and ran through unopposed before lobbing over the unprotected Murray.

  Just before the final whistle, of an afternoon to forget for Wolves followers, Yorke blasted over from near the penalty spot.