Simon Eastwood 8
Made first-half saves from Diouf and Moses and epitomised Rovers’ commitment by racing out to prevent a consolation goal late on
Adam Henley 8
With Jason Lowe set for a fresh spell on the sidelines the right back did his claims for a starting place no harm at all
Shane Duffy 9
Lost Peter Crouch for Stoke’s goal but thereafter was absolutely immense and it was from his towering header that Josh King nodded Rovers level
Matt Kilgallon 8
Can only hope he will be able to shake off the knock he picked up. The stand-in skipper produced another no-nonsense display
Markus Olsson 8
Rovers’ player of the season so far certainly did not look out of place against Premier League opposition
Chris Taylor 8
Unable to continue his record of scoring in every round but the tireless midfielder was everywhere
Lee Williamson 6
It was clear from the kick-off that Rovers were going to get stuck in and he certainly led from the front in that respect
Tom Cairney 7
Struggled to get a grip on the game in the first 20 minutes but got stronger thereafter and was always looking for the probing pass
Ben Marshall 6
Injured his shoulder inside the first 60 seconds but only came off after the Potters struck
Rudy Gestede 9
Scored one, should have had at least one more, and set up two of his strike-partner’s three goals, was at his monstrous best
Josh King 9
Blasted against the bar in the 20th minute but from then on the hat-trick hero did not put a foot wrong
Substitutions
Craig Conway for Marshall (11) Corry Evans for Williamson (46) Luke Varney for King (79)
Not used
Jason Steele, Tommy Spurr, Grant Hanley, Jordan Rhodes.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here