Football: BENNI SETS BENCHMARK; FA CUP FOURTH ROUND REPLAYS.

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 saw off Sunderland.

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

McCarthy's colourful end to a drab contest, left 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.

"I'm just pleased for Benni. He wants to play more and score more. He has been frustrated with the lack of starts."

Sunderland scored with their first attack as their stand-in strikers combined. Daryl Murphy's hopeful shot hit Ryan Nelsen and broke kindly for David Healy to finish with style.

Rovers drew level from an unlikely source as Aaron Mokoena beat Gordon with a beauty from 25 yards that curved into the top corner.

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

CAPTION(S):

ROVER JOYED Mokoena is congratulated by Danny Simpson; SEAT OF POWER McCarthy celebrates by sitting on bench