Rovers keep Europe hopes alive

For Watford the future is not nearly as bright - they could be relegated this weekend after one season in the top flight.

Benni McCarthy, with his 20th goal of the campaign, Christopher Samba and Jason Roberts all found the target while Douglas Rinaldi replied for Watford.

Blackburn carved out the first chance of the game after four minutes when McCarthy slipped the ball through to Roberts. He powered forward only for Jordan Stewart to make a timely clearance as Ben Foster came off his line.

Blackburn made the breakthrough in the sixth minute when Samba scored his second goal for the club. The giant central defender got on the end of a corner from David Bentley to head home at the back post.

Watford suffered another setback after 10 minutes when Roberts added a second for Blackburn, shrugging off the challenge of Clarke Carlisle to fire in a shot which Foster got a hand to it but could not keep out.

Watford were rocked back on their heels again in the 17th minute when Morten Gamst Pedersen whipped in a shot from 25 yards that went wide of the post. Pedersen found the target a minute later but his effort was ruled out for offside much to the Hornets' relief.

Watford pulled a goal back in the 22nd minute with their first real attack of the game - Rinaldi marking his return to the team by heading in at the back post after a cross from Hameur Bouazza.

But Rovers restored their two-goal cushion in the 32nd minute when top scorer McCarthy notched his 14th Premiership goal of the season with a diving header from Bentley's cross.

After the break Rovers looked the more likely to add to their advantage with Bentley, who created all three of Rovers' first half goals, almost getting one of his own in the 64th minute, however in the end they were content to move into the top-10 - six points behind seventh-placed Portsmouth with a game in hand.