Bristol Rovers stun Walsall with fine first-half display

Half-time: Walsall 0 Bristol Rovers 3. Walsall were roasted by the high-speed Gas as Paul Trollope's side struck twice in the first six minutes before taking a 3-0 interval lead at the Banks's Stadium.

Winger David Pipe was the supplier for the first two goals as the home side were torn to pieces over the opening stages, Darryl Duffy and Craig Disley pouncing to score from close range.

Then midway through the half, Aaron Lescott got in on the act with his first goal in 166 league appearances for the Pirates to extend their lead.

Rovers named the same side that had started their 3-0 win at Hereford United in midweek, with striker Rickie Lambert – the hat-trick hero at Edgar Street – again donning the captain's armband.

Skipper Stuart Campbell returned to the squad after illness but started on the bench.

Rovers got off to a lightning start when Pipe got the better of left-back Manny Smith and powered away down Rovers' right in the third minute before delivering a perfect cross which allowed Duffy to pass the ball into the net from six yards for his ninth goal of the season.

Three minutes later, Pipe was involved again when he swung over another cross into Walsall's box. Though Jeff Hughes miscued his header, Duffy was able to turn the ball back for Disley to slot home from close range.

Walsall offered nothing over the first 20 minutes and by then they were a further goal in arrears.

Hughes' ball in from the left was dummied by Lambert and allowed Lescott the chance to continue his run forward and fire a low left-footed shot across keeper Clayton Ince and into the far corner.

It opened his Rovers goals account after five years with the club and was only the second time he has found the net in a career that has now seen him play almost 300 league games.

Though the home side then had periods when they launched long balls into the Pirates' box, the visitors' back line held firm and looked in little danger of relinquishing their stranglehold on the game.

And it could have been 4-0 in the last action of the half when Ince just managed to deflect a trademark Lambert free-kick from 25 yards against the crossbar.

Walsall : Ince, Weston, Boertien, Gerrard, Smith, Nicholls, Hughes, Mattis, Zaaboub, Ibehre, Deeney. Subs: Gilmartin, Taundry, Palmer, Bradley, Shroot.

Bristol Rovers: Phillips, Pipe, Anthony, Elliott, Lescott, Pipe, Lines, Disley, Hughes, Lambert, Duffy. Subs: Jacobson, Hinton, Campbell, Kuffour, St Louis-Hamilton.

Referee: David Webb (Co Durham).