Blackburn Rovers 1-3 Sunderland AFC
Sunderland AFC made it three wins in three games with an impressive display at Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night in the Sky Bet Championship.
A double from Jack Clarke either side of goals from Harry Leonard and Dan Neil secured maximum points for the Lads at Ewood Park.
Tony Mowbray made one change from Saturday’s win at Queens Park Rangers, with Alex Pritchard replacing the injured Pierre Ekwah.
Blackburn started well in Lancashire and would have been ahead but for two magnificent blocks from Dan Ballard, as the Northern Irishman twice cleared off the line from Andrew Moran.
Sammie Szmodics then missed a great opportunity nodding over the crossbar, and moments later he was made to pay as the Lads were awarded a penalty.
Clarke was brought down by Ryan Hedges, and he stepped up to calmly dispatch past Aynsley Pears.
Rovers were soon level though, as Leonard nodded a back-post cross past Anthony Patterson.
Just as the fourth official held up the board for the number of added minutes, the Lads found a second.
Neil picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area, set himself and drilled in a fizzing low strike past Pears.
The hosts started the second half as they did the first with real intensity, and it almost paid off on the 50-minute mark, but Patterson turned away Lewis Travis’ long-range effort.
Dilan Markanday then struck the post as Rovers continued to pile on the pressure, but in the 78th minute Jack Clarke struck the killer blow.
Pritchard drove through midfield and released Clarke on the left, who cut inside, beat two men and rolled the ball into the bottom corner in front of over 3,800 of the Red and White Army.
The victory moves Mowbray’s side up to fourth in the table, with Cardiff City heading to Wearside on Sunday.
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, O’Nien, Ballard, Huggins, Neil, Jobe, Ba, Pritchard, Clarke, Burstow.
Subs: Bishop, Seelt, Triantis, Rigg, Roberts, Taylor, Watson, Aouchiche, Hemir