Sunderland avenge cup defeat

Cisse: Winning strike

Man of the match: Blackburn's Christopher Samba was unlucky to be on the losing team. His strong header gave Rovers the lead, and if it was not for his defending at the other end, Sunderland could have scored many more in the second half. Samba was powerful and confident and barely put a foot wrong.

Goal of the match: Djibril Cisse won all three points for Sunderland with a neatly-timed run that sprung the Rovers offside trap. Midfielder Dean Whitehead nodded the ball through the middle into Cisse's path and the striker outmuscled Zurab Khizanishvili before calmly lifting the ball over the advancing Paul Robinson who had charged off his line.

Moment of the match: Sunderland threw everyone behind the ball for the last few minutes of the match as Blackburn pressed for an equaliser. First Roque Santa Cruz and then Aaron Mokoena had shots blocked in the six yard box as Sunderland bravely threw bodies at the feet of the Blackburn strikers.

Attempt of the match: Morten Gamst Pedersen drilled a free-kick goal-bound after 11 minutes. It would have crept inside Marton Furlop's far post, but he kept it out despite flapping at it. Pedersen looked dangerous from every set piece he stood over during a useful first half from the midfielder.

Save of the match: Robinson made a diving stop to deny Kieran Richardson's rasping free kick from the right-hand edge of the penalty box. Richardson generated a lot of power with a very small backlift but Robinson had to be alert to turn the ball around his left-hand post.

Talking point: Kenwyne Jones hooked the ball into the Blackburn net on 50 minutes, but 'keeper Paul Robinson insists he was blocked when he came to punch the ball clear. He made a bit of a mess of things but was adament the goal should not have stood.

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A spirited second-half display from Sunderland saw Roy Keane's men come from behind to beat Blackburn 2-1 at Ewood Park.

Christopher Samba headed Blackburn into the lead in injury time at the end of the first half to claim his second goal of the season.

But Kenwyne Jones drew Sunderland level five minutes into the second half, reacting first to hook the ball into the net after Paul Robinson failed to punch the corner clear.

Djibril Cisse won all three points for Sunderland 20 minutes from time when he beat the offside trap to lift the ball over the advancing Robinson.

Tugay gave Blackburn a glimmer of hope when he replaced Morten Gamst Pedersen for the final 15 minutes, but Sunderland defended resolutely to record their second away win of the season.

Sunderland's rousing comeback which was capped by Cisse will likely ease the pressure on Keane.

The French striker scored the winner in the 72nd minute to end a run of three straight league defeats that had seen his club tumble down the Premier League table.

With fit-again Jones getting the equaliser, the victory also gave Sunderland revenge over a Blackburn side who had delivered a knock-out punch in the Carling Cup in midweek.

Dominated

Paul Ince's team dominated the first half but failed to build on making the breakthrough through Samba - and have now won only one of seven league games at home.

They could have taken the lead as early as the second minute when Keith Andrews, who had recovered from a knee problem, headed the ball back into the path of Stephen Warnock.

The midfielder was clear on goal but failed to test goalkeeper Marton Fulop from close range, knocking his effort wide of the post.

Blackburn maintained a high tempo, and Zurab Khizanishvili saw his effort scrambled away following a corner from Pedersen in the seventh minute.

When Pedersen delivered a second successive corner Roque Santa Cruz peeled away from his marker - but his header came back off the bar.

Fulop then had to be alert in the 12th minute to turn away a superb 25-yard free-kick from Pedersen.

Sunderland launched a quick counter-attack in the 20th minute, only for goalkeeper Paul Robinson to save comfortably from Jones.

Then Steed Malbranque sent Cisse clear. He chipped the ball over Robinson but over the bar as well.

The momentum swung back to Blackburn, and Andrews dragged a shot wide from distance in the 29th minute before seeing his free-kick from the edge of the area parried at the last minute by Fulop.

Pressure

Blackburn stepped up the pressure, and Roberts squared the ball to Ooijer. The Dutch defender got a good first touch, but his effort was deflected to safety in the 38th minute.

A minute later Khizanishvili delivered a free-kick to Samba, after he had moved up field to join the attack.

However, the big defender could not get enough power on his header - and Fulop, replacing injured Scotland international Craig Gordon, was able to make the save.

Blackburn's pressure paid off in stoppage time when Samba made the breakthrough, after Sunderland failed to pick him up. He powered in a header from Pedersen's corner.

Sunderland almost drew level in the 47th minute when Malbranque chipped the ball into the path of Jones. He got in a good header only to see it come off the bar, and Robinson recovered in time to take the rebound from Kieran Richardson.

But Jones was not to be denied and equalised two minutes later with a clever overhead kick, with Robinson claiming he had been impeded following Richardson's corner.

Then Richardson whipped in a free-kick from an acute angle in the 58th minute that Robinson did well to turn over the bar.

Sunderland went ahead in 72nd minute when Malbranque released Cisse with a cushioned header.

Robinson came out to try and narrow the angle, but Cisse got there first and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net. Cisse went straight to the dug-out to embrace Keane, after stunning the home side.

Blackburn almost drew level in the 87th minute through Aaron Mokoena. But his effort was blocked, and these are difficult times for Ince in his first season.