BLACKBURN Rovers made it five wins in a row with a comfortable victory over Reading at Ewood Park.

Last season's corresponding game saw the sides play out an entertaining 3-3 draw, and it was another six-goal thriller but this time one that Rovers certainly had the better of.

The home side showed no lethargy after their international travels to get off to the perfect start when Benni McCarthy volleyed home from close-range on 18 minutes, four minutes later the lead was doubled when Roque Santa Cruz raced through to fire through Hahnemann from a tight angle.

But the goal of the game came just past the half hour mark when Tugay blasted a thirty-yard effort into the top corner of the Reading goal.

The second half saw Steve Coppell's side change formation and it eventually paid dividends when sub Kevin Doyle reduced arrears at the near post from a corner kick, but sixty seconds later McCarthy grabbed his second from the spot after Derbyshire had been fouled.

But that three-goal advantage didn't last long as Doyle grabbed his and Reading's second just before full-time to add a tinge of disappointment despite the win.

Before the game Mark Hughes resisted the temptation to bring Ryan Nelsen back for the game, sticking with Andre Ooijer and Christopher Samba at the heart of the Rovers defence, but Benni McCarthy did return, starting his first Barclays Premier League match for over a month with Morten Gamst Pedersen dropping down to the substitutes bench.

The home side signalled their intentions straight from the off, Samba and Bentley both forcing saves from American stopper Marcus Hahnemann, but it was only a matter of time before the early pressure paid dividends.

The 18th minute goal came from a flowing move, Brett Emerton taking advantage of the space afforded to him by swinging over a deep cross to the back post, Roque Santa Cruz had the option of going for goal himself but chose to set up his strike partner Benni McCarthy and the South African made no mistake in volleying home from close-range for his fifth goal of the season.

Just four further minutes had elapsed when the lead was doubled, it came from a slide-rule pass from David Dunn who released Santa Cruz, the Paraguayan taking the ball in his stride before beating Hahnemann with a low angled strike into the back of the net.

The home fans were lapping up the performance, Reading having no answer to the crisp, quick passing play and movement from Rovers, and their delight grew further when a third goal was added just past the half hour point, and what a memorable strike it was.

The chance initially came from a fine move down the right when Bentley's centre was almost put in at the back post by the onrushing Dunn, the ball eventually breaking back to Warnock who fed Tugay, the former Turkish international took no time to assess the situation before blasting a thirty yard thunderbolt that saw Hahnemann clutching thin air as the ball flew into the top corner of the net.

It had been almost a year since Tugay last scored for Rovers, a similar thunderbolt against Tottenham at Ewood Park last November, the 37 year-old doesn't know how to score tap-ins.

The only surprise was that there were no further goals added before the break, Reading have one golden chance themselves but Andre Bikey headed straight at Friedel with the goal at his mercy.

Steve Coppell rang the changes at the break, Bikey and Rosenior sacrificed for Lita and Gunnarsson, and that seemed to galvanised the team in grey. as they threatened from a series of corner kicks. Michael Duberry going the closest as his header at the back post crashed off the top of the crossbar.

Rovers themselves were forced into a reshuffle when Stephen Warnock limped off with what looked like an ankle injury, Georgia captain Zurab Khizanishvili coming on to replace, he went to the right back slot with Emerton moving across to the left.

Mark Hughes' side looked in control, but the visitors pressure disappointingly eventually told on 80 minutes when a Nicky Shorey corner kick was headed home at the near post substitute Kevin Doyle, but that three goal lead was restored just 90 seconds later.

Morten Gamst Pedersen fed fellow substitute Matt Derbyshire who was promptly brought down in the box, Benni McCarthy duly made it six goals for the campaign with a well struck effort that beat the Reading 'keeper.

The gloss on the win was slightly taken off when Doyle headed his and Reading's second in injury time, but the scoreline doesn't do the performance justice as Rovers dominated this entertaining match for long spells, but the win will undoubtedly have pleased manager Mark Hughes as they continue their impressive start to the 2007/08 campaign.

ROVERS: Friedel (c), Emerton, Ooijer, Samba, Warnock (sub Khizanishvili 55 mins), Bentley, Tugay, Dunn (sub Pedersen 67 mins), Savage, McCarthy, Santa Cruz (sub Derbyshire 78 mins).

Subs not used: Brown (GK), Mokoena.

READING: Hahnemann, Murty (c), Shorey, Sonko, Hunt, Kitson, Harper, Rosenior (sub Gunnarsson 46 mins), Fae (sub Doyle 64 mins), Bikey (sub Lita 46 mins), Duberry.

Subs not used: Federici (GK), Ingimarsson.

Attendance: 19425