Roque Santa Cruz tormented Wigan for the second time this season as the Blackburn striker scored twice in his side’s 3-1 win at Ewood Park on Saturday.

Santa Cruz had hit a hat-trick against the Latics in December and he scored either side of Jason Roberts’s strike to keep Rovers in the hunt for a top six finish.

Marlon King has equalised for Wigan with a first-half penalty after Blackburn defender Christopher Samba was sent off. But Wigan were outclassed for long periods and a bad day for the relegation-threatened side got worse when Wilson Palacios was dismissed late on for a second booking.

Wigan had kept five clean sheets in their last six matches but that defensive wouldn’t last long here. There was an omen of the bad day to come for the Latics when goalkeeper Chris Kirkland went down injured after colliding with Emmerson Boyce and falling awkwardly on his back.

Kirkland was able to continue and he kept out David Bentley’s 25-yard shot moments later. But he got in a mess when Bentley tried another long-range strike in the 12th minute. This time he could only parry it straight up in the air and Santa Cruz was on hand to head home.

That was the signal for Wigan to launch a counter-attack and they drew level five minutes later. Emile Heskey got ahead of Samba as he raced into the penalty area and the Congo defender sent him sprawling with the slightest of touch.

Referee Mike Dean had no hesitation in awarding a spot-kick and sending off Samba. King stepped to squeeze the penalty past Brad Friedel for his first goal since joining from Watford in January.

Bentley had already caused problems for Kirkland and he beat him again before the break with a deflected free-kick, only to see his strike rebound back from the angle of post and crossbar.

Wigan defender Erik Edman was stretchered off after twisting his knee in a challenge with former Latics striker Roberts. There was worse to come for Steve Bruce’s team on the stroke of half-time when Roberts latched on to Santa Cruz’s header to turn his marker and fire past Kirkland.

Santa Cruz grabbed the crucial third goal in the 63rd minute when he stooped to head in Bentley’s left-wing cross from close range.

Michael Brown tested Friedel with a swerving drive which the goalkeeper deflected for a corner, but Wigan’s day went from bad to worse when Palacios, who had been booked in the first half, was sent off for a second bookable offence.