RED-HOT Rudy Gestede may have provided the knockout blow as resurgent Rovers roared to a third straight win at a raucous Ewood Park on Saturday.

But it was man-of-the-moment Ben Marshall who had left the Royals reeling on the ropes and the impassioned home crowd baying for blood.

On an afternoon when rising super middleweight star and Rovers supporter Luke Blackledge was presented on the pitch to promote his big fight in the town later this month, boxing-fan Marshall showed off his full repertoire of skills.

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There was dazzling footwork, pinpoint crosses, which set-up top-scorer Rudy Gestede’s first goal of the game and led to his killer second, and plenty of hard graft up and down the left flank.

But best of all was his sublime 30-yard free kick that put Rovers back in front after Glenn Murray had brought Reading level on the stroke of half-time.

The boyhood Manchester United fan’s effort, curled up and over the wall and down into the bottom corner, would not have looked out of place in David Beckham’s catalogue of spectacular set-piece strikes.

It was that good.

The same could be said of Marshall’s performance itself.

On this form he is fast becoming the best buy of shrewd boss Gary Bowyer’s Rovers reign.

And that is saying something given the success Bowyer has had in the transfer market when given funds to spend.

But in terms of value for money, Gestede will take some beating.

Since making his £200,000 permanent move from Cardiff City in January, the towering targetman has netted 20 goals in 35 appearances with his emphatically taken double strike against the Royals taking his tally for the term up to eight. But as Bowyer correctly pointed out afterwards, this latest victory was not just about Gestede and Marshall.

Yes the deadly duo may have topped the bill.

But there were excellent displays from the supporting cast, from Grant Hanley’s solid showing at the back to Jordan Rhodes’ tireless shift up front.

Little wonder, then, that every single one of the boys in blue and white left the field with applause ringing in their ears.

A delighted but measured Bowyer was quick to add his own praise.

But his words were also littered with caution.

He knows it his job to keep his young and enthusiastic players’ feet on the ground now that they have hit their richest vein of form of the season, just as it was to keep their rocky spell earlier in the campaign in perspective.

But privately he must be purring at their potential, particularly as they are yet to produce a full 90-minute performance.

Don’t get me wrong, this was close.

But there was a spell at the end of the opening period when Rovers sat back and their former Premier League rivals took full advantage.

But the great thing about this team that Bowyer has built is that it has the firepower to blow opponents away in the blink of an eye.

Similar whirlwind spells did for Bournemouth, Wigan Athletic and Nottingham Forest and there was no way back for Reading after Marshall and Gestede struck inside 13 second-half minutes.

At half-time, however, the outcome was anyone’s guess.

Rovers started well enough and, although Murray glanced a corner on to the bar, it was not against the run of play when Gestede, back in the starting line-up after his game-changing display from the bench against Forest, opened the scoring in the 16th minute.

With Corry Evans making a clever decoy run, Tom Cairney spread the ball out wide to Marshall, who immediately shifted it on to his right foot before swinging over a wonderfully inviting cross for the recalled Gestede to thump an unstoppable 10-yard header past Adam Federici.

Rovers had got the early goal Bowyer had called for.

But they failed to build on it and, while Federici made comfortable stops from Gestede and Rhodes, it was the Royals who did most of the running for the reminder of the first half.

It therefore came as no surprise when Murray, who had earlier dragged a shot inches past the post, netted a minute before the break.

Jordan Obita was the architect, firing over a cross that the on-loan Crystal Palace frontman turned in at the back post after Shane Duffy had inadvertently stopped Jason Steele from gathering the ball.

But while the equaliser had been coming, it also served to re-energise Rovers.

With Ryan Tunnicliffe on for the injured Lee Williamson, they went at Reading straight from the restart and only a scrambling double save from Federici denied Rhodes the goal his industry deserved.

But there was little Federici could do to prevent Marshall, who had stayed behind in training on Friday to practise his free kicks, from making it six goals for the season in the 55th minute.

And 13 minutes later Gestede put the game to bed.

Marshall turned punch-drunk Royals right back Chris Gunter this way and that before sending over another expert cross, this time with his left foot, which Rhodes headed powerfully against the post.

The ball rebounded kindly for Gestede and he did the rest with a composed left-footed low finish from 10 yards.

Rovers, now unbeaten in five and within two points of second place, then showed impressive game management to see the rest of the match out.

So while Reading never threw in the towel, the contest was over long before referee Carl Boyeson put them out their misery and sounded the final whistle.