BENNI SETS BENCHMARK; The FA CUP e.on FOURTH ROUND REPLAYS Super sub McCarthy is head boy for Rovers.

Byline: By ALAN NIXON

Blackburn 2

Sunderland 1

After extra time

BENNI McCARTHY came off the bench - and went back to it in a hurry - as Sam Allardyce's Blackburn Rovers saw off Sunderland.

The South African was delighted to head the 118th-minute winner from Carlos Villanueva's free-kick and was so pleased that he ran back to the stand-side seat he had been in to celebrate with his pals.

McCarthy gave a colourful end to a drab contest, leaving the Rovers fans in the sparse crowd singing about Wembley - and with Coventry up next at home, who knows?

Allardyce beamed: "We had a lot of tired minds and tired legs at the end, but it was the right result. We should be scoring more goals, but the keeper had unbelievable saves and we had some misses.

"Hopefully that will give us some impetus, but we should win games more comfortably - I'm pleased for Benni, he just wants to play more and score more. He has been frustrated by that with the lack of starts, but we have three quality strikers at the club."

Allardyce and Ricky Sbragia are big mates and former colleagues, but they spent rather too much time in each other's company for either's liking last night. Both bosses could have done without extra-time to decide the third clash between them since Allardyce took charge at Blackburn and kept bumping into his pal at Sunderland.

Familiarity bred contempt on the pitch too as the teams generally cancelled each other out although Allardyce will feel his side should have put the tie beyond doubt without the need for more action.

The number of changes showed what Allardyce and Sbragia think of the FA Cup - and Sunderland scored with their first attack as their standin strikers combined.

However Rovers were mainly on top and Craig Gordon was kept busy with a shot from Keith Treacy and an even better effort from Jason Roberts after an excellent pass from Villanueva.

Roque Santa Cruz should have scored - days after his move away broke down - but he missed the chance to equalise and make up with the fans by heading wide from a golden opportunity.

Rovers kept going and finally drew level from the unlikeliest source as Aaron Mokoena beat Gordon with a beauty from 25 yards that curled into the top corner It was just the second time the South African has scored for Rovers - with the last in another FA Cup tie against Manchester City two seasons ago. But it was well worth the wait.

Santa Cruz should have scored with another header from a Villanueva free kick, hit the target this time but saw Gordon tip the ball over.

Roberts should have a penalty when Anton Ferdinand barged him over in the box, but referee Phil Dowd gave a free kick against the striker in one of many soft and strange decisions.

Young Michael Kay was taken off by Sbragia before he was sent off. He was booked for two hacks at Santa Cruz and should have gone for a scythe at winger Treacy Gordon had to make another fine stretching stop from Villanueva and Zurab Khizanishvili missed a clear header from another corner by Villanueva as the game headed for the extra-time that neither side wanted

BLACKBURN: Robinson 6, Simpson

5, Khizanishvili 7, Nelsen 6 (Ooijer 87), Givet 8, Villanueva 7, Dunn 6 (Tugay 60, 6), Mokeona 6, Treacy 5, Roberts 6, Santa Cruz 5 (McCarthy 72, 7).

SUNDERLAND: Gordon 8, Kay 5 (Bardsley 56, 6), Ferdinand 7, Collins 7, McCartney 6, Edwards 7, Leadbitter 7, Reid 5, Malbranque 5 (Yorke 75, 6) - Healy 6, Murphy 7.

Ref: Phil Dowd ATT: 10,112

COMPUTER

BLACKBURN

SUNDERLAND

45% POSSESSION 55

FACE TO FACE

11 Corners 3

0 Offside 1

22 Fouls 23

3 Cards 2

SHOTS

8 off target 8

11 on target 7

MAN OF THE MATCH

CRAIG GORDON (SUNDERLAND)

Returning keeper kept his side in it with some great saves

VILLAIN OF THE MATCH

On loan defender never looked at ease

Danny Simpson (BLACKBURN)

NEXT THREE GAMES

BLACKBURN

Saturday: Villa (h) Prem

Sat Feb 14: Coventry (h) FA Cup

Sat Feb 21: Man Utd (h) Prem

SUNDERLAND

Saturday: Stoke (h) Prem

Sat Feb 21: Arsenal (a) Prem

Tues March 3: Liverpool (h) Prem

CAPTION(S):

SEAT OF POWER Benni McCarthy celebrates by returning to subs' bench