Huddersfield were punished by former favourite Jordan Rhodes, who scored a hat trick to propel Blackburn to a first win in four.

Mark Robins' side, for whom goals by Adam Hammill and Nahki Wells were not enough, have now lost two out of three Championship games, with the other drawn.

A prolific scorer during his time at Town, Rhodes, Rovers' captain for the day, has had a barren spell of late.

But he was bang on form at the John Smith's Stadium, where Craig Conway scored Blackburn's other goal.

Town made three changes in the wake of Wednesday's goalless stalemate at Charlton, with Hammill, Tommy Smith and Ollie Norwood back in the starting side.

After going four at the back at The Valley, it was 3-5-2 against Rovers with Smith lining up alongside captain Peter Clarke and Murray Wallace in defence.

Hammill and Pail Dixon took the wing-back berths with Norwood, Adam Clayton and Jonathan Hogg in midfield and Wells and Danny Ward up front.

That formation soon became 4-3-3, with Smith moved to the right and Hammill further upfield, as Rhodes struck after just four minutes.

Frontline partner Rudy Gestede flicked on a long ball and Rhodes held off Wallace to slot home right footed.

It was a nervy start by Town, but they began to warm to the task and Norwood twice came close with shots from outside the area and Clarke headed wide before Hammill's leveller.

The reply came in the 24th minute, and whether Hammill, cutting in from the left, intended it as a cross or a shot, the ball flew beyond keeper Paul Robinson and into the far corner.

Injuries forced Blackburn into two first-half changes, with defender Jason Lowe and striker Gestede forced off, the latter leaving on a stretcher, resulting in a lengthy halt to the action.

Todd Kane and ex-Leeds forward Luke Varney came on, and as Blackburn readjusted, Wells shot narrowly wide from Hogg's lay-off.

Wells came close when he thumped in a shot when Hammill's 50th-minute corner was only partially cleared, but Robinson parried and Ward put the rebound over.

Town were made to rue that miss when Rhodes struck again in the 55th minute, heading home off the right-hand post from Craig Conway's cross.

Wells had Robinson stretching to claw away a head from Hammill's cross, but Blackburn struck again in the 65th minute.

Keeper Smithies looked like he head Conway's long-range strike covered but while he got a hand to the ball, it flew on into the net to leave Town chasing the game.

Robins responded with a double substitution, with James Vaughan, back from a torn calf, replacing Ward and Sean Scannell coming in for Norwood.

And Vaughan soon made a telling touch, heading the ball down for Wells to shoot home on the turn in the 71st minute.

Town were pushing forward in search of an equaliser, but Rhodes ended those hopes with a clinical 81st-minute finish after Clayton lost possession.

Town, who remained 14th in the table, handed former Manchester City striker Harry Bunn a debut as a late substitute for Hammill.