Rovers found their stride on the road cruising past 10-man Coventry City at St Andrew’s.

Adam Armstrong scored twice, including from the spot after missing in midweek, with the hosts having played much of the game with 10 man.

Michael Rose was sent off for a foul on Ben Brereton who was the star of the show for Rovers, the defender bundling him to the floor when clean through.

Armstrong dispatched the spot-kick and added a second from close range, before Harvey Elliott became the club’s fourth youngest scorer just after the hour.

The Liverpool loanee also came up with an assist before the end, involved in a glorious piece of play with Lewis Holtby to tee up Sam Gallagher to rifle home his first of the campaign.

Brereton had a hand in the first three goals, and Rovers could have had more than the four goals they managed, with Holtby in particular guilty of missing some clear-cut opportunities.

They didn’t let up until the final whistle, and albeit with a man advantage, dominated from the off to move to 10 points from their opening seven fixtures.

Rovers made four changes, handing a debut to Barry Douglas, a first start to Tom Trybull as well as recalls for Derrick Williams and Joe Rankin-Costello.

The latter had a big say in a game-changing moment 16 minutes in. His terrific cross-field pass was taken in his stride by Brereton who was pushed to the floor by defender Rose. Referee Darren England awarded a penalty, and showed the Coventry man his marching orders.

Armstrong sent Marosi the wrong way from the spot kick and Rovers were ahead, moments after almost falling behind.

Matt Godden controlled a Ryan Giles cross, his touch taking him away from Darragh Lenihan, his shot cannoning back off the outside of the post.

With a goal and man advantage Rovers were looking to continue their dominance of the ball and could have had a second when Brereton cut in from the left, his shot well held by Marko Marosi.

Armstrong snatched at his shot from the right edge of the box as Coventry struggled to come to terms with the loss of Rose as they were forced to change from a back three to a four.

Lewis Holtby had scored Rovers’ first goal of the season, a free kick in the Carabao Cup win over Doncaster, but has had a tough time infront of goal since.

His troubles didn’t appear to be abating in the first half, found by Johnson unmarked 10 yards out, and while Marosi made a smart save to deny his first effort, he was wasteful with the rebound that he fired wide.

Rankin-Costello was a surprise inclusion at right back over Nyambe but was demonstrating his quality, a 24th minute cross finding the head of Holtby who again couldn’t guide it on target.

Mowbray continued at his team to push up and press, with Coventry still looking to play out from the back where possible, and but for a few Giles breaks forward down the left, Rovers were in cruise control.

But their attempts to find a second goal were let down by their finishing, Holtby again heading over seven minutes for time, Johnson’s header from another left-wing cross suffering the same fate.

There was one more effort before the break, and this did bring a save from Maroski, the Sky Blues keeper alert to a thumping left foot strike from Armstrong after collecting a Douglas pass.

Rovers needed to find that clinical edge in the second half, and needed just four minutes after the break to find that second goal. Brereton was heavily involved, rolling his defender before sliding the ball into the path of Armstrong whose left foot shot found the corner via the underside of the bar.

Brereton, a goalscorer in midweek, earned a thumbs from his manager for his involvement in the goal and had a shot himself seconds later deflected wide for a corner.

Rovers were enjoying even longer periods of possession, with Mowbray keen to maintain the standards as he hurled instructions from the touchline.

Armstrong had a hat-trick in mind as he wound back his left foot from Brereton’s pass, only for it to be deflected over the top.

He would be denied that, subbed shortly after Rovers had taken a three-goal lead. It was a quick counter from Rovers, Brereton again involved as he broke down the left from an Armstrong pass to put it on a plate for Elliott to find the corner.

Kaminski had been a spectator since the red card, but showed his levels of concentration to keep out a Giles effort with 20 minutes left. The left back thumped a strike goalwards which the Belgian got two hands to and pushed it away.

The ‘keeper wasn’t looking all that comfortable in the closing stages though, receiving treatment shortly after the save, though Rovers had already made all three subs.

Elliott finished the game as the central striker, but put on two good chances for Gallagher. The first was headed over from a free kick, the second saw him unable to take a terrific cross-field pass in his stride when clean through.

Holtby tried his luck with three minutes to go, but again failed to hit the target, this time from much further out, while a good piece of defending from Lenihan to deny Liam Kelly helped see out a fourth clean sheet of the campaign.

They also scored four for a third time this season, Gallagher coming off the bench against his former club to finish off a fine team move with three minutes remaining. 

Coventry City: Marosi, Rose, McFadzean, Kelly, Allen, O'Hare (Kastaneer, 77), Sheaf, Hyam, Giles, McCallum (Pask, 60), Godden (Biamou, 60)

Subs: Wilson, Ostigard, Bakayoko, Bapaga

Rovers: Kaminski, Rankin-Costello, Lenihan, Williams, Douglas, Trybull (Buckley, 68), Johnson, Holtby, Elliott, Armstrong (Gallagher, 64), Brereton

Substitutes: Pears, Nyambe, Evans, Dolan