Black Cats beaten by Blackburn

Two goals in as many second-half minutes sent Roy Keane's men tumbling to defeat as the Black Cats were served a reminder of just how difficult life in the Barclays Premier League can be.

David Bentley pounced on a rebound to open the scoring from close range on 53 minutes, and Roque Santa Cruz smashed home his fifth goal of the season two minutes later as the home side were sliced open again.

Indeed Bentley, who was booed throughout by the home fans and treated with little ceremony by the defenders he repeatedly tormented, should have made it 3-0 when he was played in by the impressive Santa Cruz.

Sunderland finished the game with four strikers on the pitch and sparked hopes of another late fightback when Grant Leadbitter capped a fine individual display with a sweet 90th-minute strike.

But they lacked the inspiration to open Rovers up often enough to make an impact on a day when they were more soundly beaten than the scoreline suggests in front of a crowd of 41,252.

However, things might have been different had referee Peter Walton pointed to the spot four minutes before the break after Michael Chopra had gone down under Brad Friedels challenge.

Former United team-mates Keane and Hughes never took a backward step during their playing days, and it was no surprise that the teams they sent out scrapped and fought their way through a tight first 45 minutes.

The quality of Tugay, David Dunn and Bentley in Blackburn's midfield gave them a foundation upon which to build, and they perhaps enjoyed the greater share of the possession during the opening period.

However, what Sunderland lack in craft and guile, they make up for in grit and determination, and the half's better chances came their way.

Six points from a possible twelve on home soil, while that total hardly reflects a side struggling against relegation it also does little to suggest the Stadium of Light has become a fortress.

It is the latter which manager Roy Keane has been looking to deliver on Wearside but, after failing to seriously threaten goalkeeper Brad Friedel, Blackburn left the home side nursing their wounds.

Defensively Sunderland have been sound in recent weeks, that was not the case here.

And Danny Higginbotham, who had proven to be an astute signing until today, was the main culprit.

It would be unfair to suggest this defeat lies purely at his feet when those around him could have had the game won by half time.

But Higginbotham, a graduate of the Manchester United academy, will know that mistakes at Premier League level are a no no - particularly those of this nature.

Having already witnessed Roque Santa Cruz waltz through the Sunderland half before shooting against the defender, leaving David Bentley to hammer home the opener 9 minutes after half time. Worse followed.

Seconds later Higginbotham's weak back pass allowed Brett Emmerton to be beat Craig Gordon to the ball.

Gordon initially denied the Aussie but Emmerton's quick thinking ensured he headed it to the feet of Santa Cruz.

The South American had the simple task of putting Blackburn two to the good.

Keane might have tried to change things, making three substitutions ten minutes later, but the damage had been done.

Worryingly, despite the prescence of Kenwine Jones up front, Sunderland found it hard to outmuscle the Blackburn defence which is by no means the best in the league.

And while Rovers had established themselves to be a decent outfit under Mark Hughes, they are by far Champions League material and it is that standard Keane is looking to match.

On the evidence of this, despite Grant Leadbitter's precise late strike from 20 yards, the Irishman still has a long way to go.

With away days at Arsenal and West Ham scheduled before the visit of Fulham on October 27th, it is going to be difficult to pull in points.

That is a must, though, if confidence is going to be high when Newcastle make their eagerly awaited trip to their North East neighbours on November 10th.

Youngster Leadbitter and last weekend's goal hero Liam Miller were their driving force with the former making a nuisance of himself from the right wing despite having to leave the pitch temporarily after taking an accidental kick in the head from Dunn.

Leadbitter saw four first-half shots blocked and another saved by Brad Friedel, who also had to keep out another long-range effort from Miller.

For their part, Rovers failed to test Craig Gordon unduly at the other end, the Scot saving from Christopher Samba's low 23rd-minute drive seconds after seeing Danny Higginbotham deflect Santa Cruz's header over the bar.

But he was left hopelessly exposed on 38 minutes when Nyron Nosworthy failed to clear Bentley's blocked effort and Matt Derbyshire span to fire just wide of the far post.

Chopra, who scored in each of his first two games for the Black Cats, was left to bemoan a controversial decision four minutes before the break when he went down under Friedel's challenge as he ran on to Millers through-ball.

Mr Walton took his time as the American held his breath, but then infuriated the former Newcastle striker and the home fans when he awarded only a corner.

Rovers resumed in enterprising fashion and Dunn and Aaron Mokoena both failed to make the most of early half-chances.

But they felled their hosts with a devastating blow inside two action-packed minutes.

Santa Cruz was allowed to carve his way into the penalty area and 53 minutes to fire in a shot which was blocked by Danny Higginbotham.

However, the ball dropped invitingly to Bentley, who needed no second invitation to thump it past the stranded Gordon.

Worse was to come for the home side after 55 minutes when Higginbotham left his back-pass woefully short and Brett Emerton ran through to force a good save from Gordon before turning the ball back across goal for Santa Cruz to help himself.

Sunderland's plight might have been irredeemable three minutes later when the impressive Santa Cruz broke to feed Bentley, who stepped inside before seeing his stabbed shot blocked by Gordon.

Leadbitter never really tested Friedel with a 62nd-minute free-kick, and Keane made his move three minutes later, withdrawing Ross Wallace, Dwight Yorke and Chopra to send on David Connolly, Daryl Murphy and Roy O'Donovan.

Hughes decided to introduce Morten Gamst Pedersen in place of Derbyshire at the same time, although with four strikers on the pitch, it was Sunderland who took the initiative.

However, it was not until the final minute of the game that they gave themselves any hope when Leadbitter's superb right-footed strike sparked a frenzied, but ultimately fruitless, late assault.

Watch the match highlights from Monday, October 1