- Date:2008-12-26
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Stadium of Light
- Attendance:44680
- Referee:Atkinson, M
Live Commentary
90mins
Full Time: SUNDERLAND 0-0 BLACKBURN. The game comes to a close and ends in a draw. Neither side will feel they had done enough to win the game but Roberts will be kicking himself for that late miss.
90mins
Aaron Mokoena comes on to replace the injured Ryan Nelsen for the last few moments.
89mins
A long ball into the box is headed away by Ooijer but it falls for Leadbitter who drives it first time but it's straight at Robinson who clutches the ball into his chest.
87mins
Matt Derbyshire comes into the action upfront, replacing Benni McCarthy.
83mins
Malbranque breaks forward and tries to slide a killer pass into Cisse but it is slightly off target and runs through to Paul Robinson.
80mins
Richardson is also withdrawn and the young Grant Leadbitter comes on to replace him. Will the fresh legs make the difference?
80mins
Murphy comes on to replace Cisse as Ricky Sbragia looks to offer something different up front.
79mins
Sunderland have a corner which Reid will take. Once again, the corner is poor and cleared at the near post without any difficulty for the Rovers defence.
78mins
Malbranque flicks the ball into Cisse who runs at Nelsen, cuts inside and shoots but Nelsen stands up well and makes the block.
78mins
McCarthy battles hard and keeps the ball on the right hand side before digging out a cross onto the head of Roberts but it was just too high for him and the header goes over.
74mins
As we go into the final stages of this match it could still go either way. Sunderland have a corner after Malbranque's cross is deflected behind off Warnock.
70mins
A scramble in the Rovers box but the ball just won't fall for a Sunderland player and in the end Tugay is able to smash the ball out of the danger zone.
68mins
Emerton forces a corner on the right hand side - Pedersen will swing it in - The corner is blocked at the near post and the ball goes behind for a goal-kick.
65mins
The ball in from Malbranque delivered to the backpost finds Richardson who cushions the ball back into the path of Cisse who volleys from the edge of the area but he rifles it just over. What a strike from Cisse.
61mins
The experienced Tugay comes on for David Dunn who still lacks full fitness after his recent injury troubles.
61mins
The tiring Tainio is withdrawn and replaced by Dean Whitehead. Richardson is likely to occupy the left flank with Whitehead playing in the centre of midfield.
59mins
Great interplay on the edge of the box and Andrews burst through the heart of the defence and finding space in the box but his toe-poked effort was turned wide by Fulop to deny the midfielder.
57mins
Great ball in by Andy Reid and it forces Samba to head it behind and concede the corner - Reid's corner is headed away by the first defender and the opportunity is wasted.
55mins
Malbranque wins the ball deep in the Blackburn half and drives forward. His shot is blocked and falls for Jones who shoots but again it's blocked and as it falls for Cisse, the assistant raises his flag. Cisse was offside.
53mins
Jones leads a swift counter and plays the ball to Malbranque who touches it into the path of the overlapping Bardsley but the full-back's cross is a poor one and Robinson collects.
52mins
Blackburn win a free-kick as Emerton is brought down having beaten Collins coming inside - The ball is placed, on the edge of the box on the right hand side and Pedersen is over it - He bends it left-footed but it cannons back off the post!
49mins
Kenwyne Jones turns on a sixpence inside the box and goes down under Ooijer's challenge but the referee says 'No penalty' and the game continues.
48mins
Emerton crosses from deep aiming at McCarthy but the ball is just behind the striker and it rolls for a throw-in.
47mins
Samba is cautioned for the handball.
46mins
The ball has come in from the right hand side and it ricochets into the goal among a mass of confusion. Sunderland appeal for handball and the referee awards a free-kick for handball against Samba and the goal won't stand.
46mins
Blackburn get the second half underway.
45mins
Half Time: SUNDERLAND 0-0 BLACKBURN. A disappointing first half. Sunderland have had the best of the limited chances but are yet to break down the organised Rovers defence. The second half can only get better.
44mins
Sunderland pressuring at the end of the half. Andy Reid whips the ball in from the left hand side and Jones rises to meet it but he can't get high enough to head the ball down and it goes for a goal-kick.
41mins
Ooijer plays the ball into the feet of McCarthy who tries to turn but a sliding challenge from Nosworthy wins the ball for Sunderland and sends McCarthy down in a heap. Martin Atkinson waves away the appeals for a free-kick.
37mins
Blackburn have a free-kick around 25 yards from goal as McCarthy is fouled and Pedersen will fancy this one. Dunn takes it but his shot is charged down by Richardson racing out of the wall.
33mins
Great play from Reid on the left hand side and he lifts the ball into the danger zone but it's too strong for Jones and Cisse and Robinson is able to gather.
31mins
Steed Malbranque links up with Bardsley and skips through the Rovers defence but he can't quite pick out Jones and the ball runs through to Robinson.
31mins
Benni McCarthy is booked for a late tackle as he tried to charge down a Bardsley clearance. That was a little harsh in my opinion.
27mins
Richardson plays the ball into the path of Collins on the left hand side, he plays it back to Reid who delivers towards Jones who goes down - No penalty - The ball breaks to Bardsley but he fires fractionally wide.
22mins
Good move from Sunderland as they move the ball around. It is played into Cisse who turned it into the run of Jones before he was fouled by Ooijer.
22mins
Andre Ooijer becomes the first player to be cautioned as he throws an arm into the face of Kenwyne Jones who was running past him.
19mins
Dangerous set piece for Blackburn that Pedersen will deliver. The winger whips the ball in left-footed but it flies into the arms of Fulop.
15mins
Again Sunderland attacking on the right hand side and the ball into the box is headed out by Nelsen but only far as Malranque but his volley sails high over the bar.
14mins
Emerton brings the ball forward on the right hand side and angles his cross towards McCarthy who meets it with his head but under pressure from the defender, the effort goes tamely wide.
10mins
Bardsley finds space on the right, crosses towards Cisse who flicks the ball to the back post. Andy Reid tries to shoot on the turn but the ball doesn't fall for him and Dunn is able to clear.
6mins
Richardson plays the ball to Reid on the left hand side. Reid skips past one challenge but is dispossessed by an excellent tackle from Emerton.
3mins
A rapid break from the home side - Malbranque slides a wonderful through ball into the run of Cisse who is through on goal but Robinson closes the angle and makes the save.
1mins
Sunderland have a corner in the opening minute after some good work by Andy Reid - The corner is played short, Malbranque swings the ball into the area but it evades everyone and Blackburn are able to clear.
1mins
Today's referee is Martin Atkinson and with a sharp blast on his whistle, this game gets underway.
0mins
Sam Allardyce also names the same eleven that beat Stoke last week. Blackburn are still without Santa Cruz up-front but with McCarthy and Roberts leading the line Rovers will be confident they can make it back-to-back league victories today.
0mins
Caretaker boss Ricky Sbragia names an unchanged Sunderland side frm the victory at Hull last time out as the Black Cats look for their third consecutive league win.
0mins
Blackburn: Robinson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Emerton, Dunn, Andrews, Pedersen, Roberts, McCarthy
0mins
Sunderland: Fulop, Bardsley, Nosworthy, Ferdinand, Collins, Malbranque, Tainio, Richardson, Reid, Cisse, Jones
0mins
Hello and welcome to the Stadium of Light. Today's visitors are Blackburn Rovers who will be looking for three points and a boxing day boost under new manager Sam Allardyce.
Match Preview
Two clubs that have parted company with their managers this month meet at the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day looking to build on impressive weekend victories.
Since Roy Keane left Sunderland, caretaker manager Ricky Sbragia has guided the Black Cats to successive wins against West Brom (4-0) and Hull City (4-1) after his opening game in charge had ended in a last-gasp 1-0 defeat at Manchester United.
The six points have lifted spirits on Wearside and also given the team some breathing space in the increasingly desperate battle to remain above the bottom three.
The goals are suddenly flowing for Djibril Cisse and Kenwyne Jones with the Frenchman scoring his fifth goal in his last eight appearances in the victory at the KC Stadium.
Jones has found the net four times in six league starts since returning from injury in October with three of those coming in the last two games.
Sbragia will once again be without Craig Gordon, who is expected to be sidelined for another month with an ankle ligament injury, so Marton Fulop will continue in goal against Rovers.
George McCartney is the only other definite absentee as the former West Ham United defender continues his rehabilitation following an ankle problem.
Rovers moved quickly to appoint Sam Allardyce last week following Paul Ince's departure and the former Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United boss had an instant impact guiding Blackburn to a 3-0 win against Stoke City.
The victory ended a six-match losing sequence in the Premier League and was their first three-point haul since the victory at Newcastle United in late September, an 11-match winless run.
Most of Blackburn's injury problems have cleared up with only long-term victims Steven Reid (knee) and Vince Grella (hamstring) currently sidelined.
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Match Report
It was honours even in the Boxing Day bout between Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers at the Stadium of Light.
But the visitors will be ruing the one that got away as Jason Roberts passed up a gift-wrapped opportunity to seal victory.
A long clearance in the dying minutes of the game fell invitingly at the forward's feet. He did well to round Sunderland keeper Marton Fulop, but with the Sunderland goal at his mercy he somehow managed to slide his shot the wrong side of the post.
It was miss of criminal proportions and Roberts looked on in disbelief at his error.
Had he netted it would have been harsh on the hosts and buoyed by their lucky escape they pushed on looking for a last-gasp winner.
However, as for much of the encounter, they failed to find that killer pass in the final third. It was the same story for the red and whites in the opening 45 minutes.
The hosts had edged the first half in terms of both possession and attacks on goal, but having scored eight goals in their two previous league games, they were lacking a cutting-edge this time around.
Blackburn, on the other hand, put themselves about and got men behind the ball to restrict the Black Cats to half-chances.
In truth that was all they did in the opening half and they failed to offer anything in terms of attack.
Right-back Phil Bardsley went closest for the Wearsiders on 22 minutes, the ball reached him 22 yards out from goal and the defender cut on to his favoured left foot, letting fly with a shot that drifted just wide.
Seven minutes earlier, Steed Malbranque had a good chance to put Sunderland in front as the ball dropped to him on the edge of the 18-yard area. However, the Frenchman lofted his effort over the bar and into the stands when he really should have hit the target.
After the break Rovers were far more of an attacking threat and took the game to the hosts in the opening minutes of the second period.
The visitors even managed to find the net on 48 minutes, but it was ruled out as Chris Samba had used his hand to guide the ball goalwards and was booked for his troubles.
Morten Gamst Pedersen brought the save of the game out of Fulop on 53 minutes. The Rovers wide man curled in a free-kick from the edge of the box but Fulop, at full-stretch, managed to clear the ball on to the post and the danger was cleared.
The Sunderland keeper was again called into action on the hour mark as Keith Andrews raced into the area, he looked set to score, but the Hungary international got down well to block the ball out for a corner.
The hosts weren't without chances of their own in the second half, but by and large these were long-range efforts which never really troubled Paul Robinson in the visitors goal.
In the end, it was the Wearsiders who were happiest with the point gained, especially as Roberts let them off the hook so very late on.
Sunderland Team
Blackburn Rovers Team
Sunderland | Blackburn Rovers |
Corners
| 5 | 2 |
Fouls
| 5 | 11 |
Goal attempts
| 13 | 8 |
Shots off target
| 5 | 4 |
Offsides
| 6 | 3 |



90mins
Jason Roberts put in behind here from a long ball over the top, he rounded Fulop well but he side footed the ball wide under pressure from Nosworthy. What a miss! He knows he should have won it for Blackburn there.