Sunderland 1 Blackburn 2:IT IS doubtful whether Roque Santa Cruz will still be a Blackburn Rovers player when the League Cup final comes round in March, but the Paraguay striker helped propel Paul Ince's side into the quarter-finals last night.

Within two minutes of stepping off the bench Santa Cruz headed Rovers into an unlikely lead and then transformed them into a menacing ensemble. Ince's inspiration in bringing him on consigned the manager's former Manchester United team-mate and good friend Roy Keane to a fourth straight defeat on an evening when Sunderland were undermined by their own failings and Chris Samba's defensive excellence.

Sunderland fans were surprised and delighted to see Kenwyne Jones, returning after almost a five-month absence, paired with Djibril Cisse in their attack.

Anxious to progress, Keane named a strong side, his only concession to experimentation being the deployment of Jordan Henderson wide on the right. It was the highly rated 18-year-old's first start and he showed off some deft touches and movement against a significantly weakened Blackburn. Ince seemed to regard the Premier League rematch at Ewood Park on Saturday as his priority, but his team were not about to surrender lightly. Aaron Mokoena, for one, simply does not do half-hearted; all too typically, it did not take long for the South African enforcer to be shown a yellow card for a crude challenge on Cisse.

Rob Styles also had no hesitation in booking Keith Treacy for such a blatant dive in the box that his team-mates looked too embarrassed to appeal for a penalty.

With Cisse and Jones and Robbie Fowler and Matt Derbyshire playing like strangers rather than attacking partners such desperate measures were perhaps understandable. Although Jones saw a header scrambled off the line following a Danny Collins cross and Collins had a header capably tipped over the bar by Paul Robinson, Sunderland were struggling to bypass Samba and Zurab Khiszanishvili.

While the latter twice permitted Cisse to show off his scorching pace during the first half, the towering Samba was not about to be roughed up by Jones's own physicality.

An equally intriguing subplot involved Kieran Richardson's central-midfield duel with Tugay. Richardson has been playing well in his new role this season and Keane has even talked up the one time Manchester United player's chances of an England recall, but Tugay relished putting such aspirations into perspective. The Turk may lack Richardon's quick feet but his brain was sharp enough to second guess the younger man's intentions and slow the tempo.

With Anton Ferdinand far too fast for Fowler, though, Ince's side struggled to threaten Marton Fulop and the closest Blackburn came was a narrowly off-target floated snapshot from Treacy.

Richardson should, however, never be underestimated at dead balls; he directed a dipping and swerving free-kick just over Robinson's bar at the start of the second period.

Keane's side were improving, but Ince felt sufficiently emboldened to bring on Santa Cruz. The centre forward may have made it clear that he is hoping for a New Year move to rejoin Mark Hughes, at Manchester City, and he was not exactly in a hurry to remove his tracksuit when Ince asked him to replace Andy Howarth - but he was soon celebrating. All it took was a cross from Martin Olsson and a header on from Samba, and there was Santa Cruz.

Shortly afterwards Sunderland looked all but out when Phil Bardsley stuck out a boot and turned Danny Simpson's cross into his own net, but Keane sent on Andy Reid in Steed Malbranque's stead and Jones sparked into life. Receiving the ball with his back to goal, he turned, cut inside and beat Robinson with a low left-foot shot from just outside the area. The former England goalkeeper should have done better.

Guardian Service

SUNDERLAND:Fulop, Bardsley, Nosworthy, Ferdinand, Collins, Henderson (Leadbitter 80), Whitehead, Richardson, Malbranque (Reid 71), Cisse, Jones (Murphy 80). Subs not used: Colgan, Tainio, Diouf, Kay. Booked: Leadbitter.

BLACKBURN:Robinson, Simpson, Khizanishvili, Samba, Olsson, Kerimoglu, Derbyshire, Mokoena, Treacy (Warnock 67), Fowler (Villanueva 78), Haworth (Roque Santa Cruz 62). Subs not used: Brown, Ooijer, Nelsen, Judge. Booked: Mokoena, Treacy

Referee:Rob Styles (Hampshire).