Bristol City ended Blackburn Rovers' mini-revival under new head coach Michael O'Neill by holding on to a narrow victory at Ewood Park.

First half goals from Emil Riis and Scott Twine were enough for the Robins to pick up just their third win from their past nine Championship matches as they go up four places to eighth in the table before play-off rivals Birmingham's trip to Millwall on Wednesday.

Rovers did lead through Yuki Ohashi's second goal in two games but despite creating several chances in an entertaining affair after half-time were unable to grab an equalising goal.

They remain 20th in the Championship standings after a 16th league defeat of the season, now four points above the relegation zone, after Leicester drew with promotion-chasers Middlesbrough.

Buoyed by winning three of their past four matches, Blackburn raced into the lead after less than six minutes when an accurate cut back from Ryoya Morishita found Japanese compatriot Ohashi to sweep home first time into the roof of the net, leaving City keeper Radek Vitek helpless.

That early goal seemed to spring City into life and a long ball from Cameron Pring was misjudged by Rovers defender Sean McLoughlin and flicked towards goal by Riis but his effort was shovelled around the post by Balazs Toth.

It was an excellent reaction from the Robins but they wasted another presentable opportunity when Twine uncharacteristically hammered an effort from the edge of the box well over the bar under pressure following a short corner.

In a pulsating opening 15 minutes, a curling delivery from Tomi Horvat found Riis in the middle but he was unable to purchase enough power on his header as Toth made another save to keep his side in front.

Moments later, Riis was not to be denied his goal, capitalising on a poor clearance from Hayden Carter by taking one touch to trap on his knee and a second to volley home into the far corner to level the match.

Twine then thought he was upended by Blackburn wing-back Harry Pickering and the City man would have been clean in on goal but referee Matthew Donohue waved away the visitors' protests of a foul.

Slovenian international Horvat then went centimetres away from giving the visitors the lead when his bending left-footer from 25 yards beat Toth but hit the base of the post and rolled to safety as Blackburn continued to live dangerously.

The Robins' excellent attacking display was eventually rewarded with a lead at the break though when Riis turned from scorer to provider on the 30-minute mark, firing in a low ball which was met superbly on the swivel by ex-Burnley man Twine for his ninth Championship goal of the campaign.

Mathias Jorgensen should have equalised minutes after the break but unintentionally headed the ball away from goal inside the six-yard box before Ohashi - a man playing with full confidence - tried a spectacular overhead kick which was turned around the post by Vitek.

After Morishita was lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a pull back, he set up substitute Andri Gudjohnsen but the Icelander dallied in front of goal - allowing City to put a challenge in and clear the danger.

Horvat's terrific free-kick from distance was then clawed out by Toth with 15 minutes remaining before substitute Dion De Neve got on the end of a cross from the right only for Vitek to come up with an excellent save to keep City ahead.

The chances kept coming for Blackburn and Ohashi bounced an effort just past Vitek's goal before the Manchester United loanee came to his side's rescue once more in the final minute of stoppage-time, saving a close-range strike from Rovers substitute Moussa Baradji who had danced inside after benefitting from a loose ball.

Blackburn Rovers boss Michael O'Neill told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"We're disappointed with the result and we're disappointed with how we played in the first half as well.

"We just didn't seem to get to grips with them in the first 30-35 minutes, despite scoring a really good goal which I thought we would kick on from and we didn't.

"We didn't compete first of all, we didn't get pressure on the ball high enough up the pitch and we didn't win enough second balls and when we did we turned it over. We constantly put ourselves under pressure.

"I thought the reaction was good in the second half. We're disappointed not to take something from the game but there are positives from the second half.

"We threw everything we had available from an attacking sense on the pitch tonight but it just wasn't enough to find an equaliser."

Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber told BBC Radio Bristol:

"It was not easy. After five, six minutes they earned their lead but the reaction was great from the boys and how we played football in the first half and how we drived them down - we realise there could have been another goal or more for us.

"That's us. In this direction, we showed how good we can be and of course the second half - they [Blackburn] were much more aggressive against us, gave us absolutely no space.

"It was difficult for us. We defended our own goal. It was not always easy to watch but this is not the Blackburn from a few weeks ago - this is a different energy.

"It was really difficult to win here but the boys did it. This could be a really important week, this could be a tipping point for us. We are really, really happy."