Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts have scored five goals between them in the three matches since Allardyce was appointed as Paul Ince's successor to lift the gloom at Ewood Park.

Although the goals were not enough to pull Rovers out of the Premier League relegation zone, Allardyce is confident that, with or without Santa Cruz - who is thought to remain a transfer target for Manchester City - they can become the club's saviours.

"It's brilliant," said Allardyce.

"Five goals in three matches from your two strikers - with supposedly your best striker out injured - is wonderful.

"I'm absolutely delighted about that and it could have been a lot more if they had a bit more luck.

"It gives us great encouragement to know that, given the right service in to those two, they will score.

"The players should register very quickly that, the more we play off those two, the more chances we've got of scoring goals and the more we can enjoy ourselves by getting more and more victories."

Blackburn take a breather from Premier League action when they play Blyth Spartans in the third round of the FA Cup in the north-east on Monday night.

Although Allardyce will take the opportunity to rest several of his senior players, even those who back up will have had a full week's rest between matches and that has delighted the former Bolton and Newcastle manager.

"The best thing that's happened this season is that we haven't been forced to play on New Year's Day," he said.

"It's a massive, massive bonus. When everyone else in Europe is having a break, we're still full-on.

"We're normally head-on with a game on New Year's Day with the FA Cup immediately after that but at least they have been sensible and given us a day's break at long, long last."