Stoke City produced an outstanding display in Tony Pulis 300th match in charge to leapfrog Blackburn in the table.
Danny Higginbotham opened the scoring with a sweet left-foot volley after Rovers failed to clear a corner.
And Mamady Sidibe tapped home the second from a Matthew Etherington cross in first-half stoppage-time.
Christopher Samba was sent off for a blatant tug on Ricardo Fuller before Etherington exchanged passes with Liam Lawrence and curled in the third.
Pulis will take great pride from a victory which ensures Stoke are still unbeaten in 2010, with eight points from four league games and FA Cup wins over York and Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce will be wondering how his side could produce such an anaemic display after an encouraging run of one defeat in six league games.
Pulis acknowledged the crowd's applause as he jogged his way to the dugout on his landmark match in two spells at the helm.
The Stoke boss made four changes to the side which played out an uninspiring goalless draw against Sunderland, with Andy Wilkinson, Lawrence, Rory Delap and Fuller all drafted into the starting line-up.
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