Sunderland can finally can smile

Sunderland - 2 Blackburn - 2:FA Cup Fourth Round Replays: Sunderland, so close to winning the game in normal time, eventually had to do it the hard way, going through after a penalty shoot-out largely due to the fact that Blackburn missed their three spot-kicks.

A goal from Garry Flitcroft, in the last minute of normal time, his second of the match, had sent this compelling replay into extra-time after it appeared that Sunderland had won it in dramatic fashion 11 minutes earlier when Gavin McCann scored with a glorious volley.

McCann's goal deserved to win any game, though Sunderland were hanging on after that. They were then dependent on an astonishing miss by Henning Berg from two yards in the 86th minute to hold their lead, but when Flitcroft ran on to a David Thompson centre for the second time Blackburn had their equaliser.

Kevin Phillips had opened the scoring in the 10th minute and Sunderland had dominated until Flitcroft got his first five minutes after half-time.

Blackburn brought their Cole-Yorke partnership and had Tugay alongside Flitcroft behind them. Further back, Berg was asked to play his first game since October and his rustiness was to show up early.

Sunderland left their system unchanged despite the calamitous performance against Charlton, but Emerson Thome returned at centre-half and young Seán Thornton came in on the right.

Thornton had made his debut in the last round against Bolton here in a replay and impressed Wilkinson with his passing and movement. Presumably he did so again in the 10th minute when Thornton cut in from the flank and sought out Phillips. Thornton threaded his pass through the middle. It may have found its intended target anyway but Berg made sure by stepping out looking for offside with his hand in the air.

It was schoolboy stuff and it left Phillips free to steer a graduate's finish around Brad Friedel into the bottom corner. Rovers equalised in straightforward fashion five minutes after the interval. From six yards out the unmarked Flitcroft planted an unstoppable header past Sorensen from a Thompson corner.

The game was open and lively now. The Blackburn substitute John Douglas went close with a volley at one end, and Thornton with a measured drive at the other. If anything, though, it was Blackburn who were in the ascendancy and Tugay almost scored with a whipped shot 15 minutes from time.

Sunderland, though, were to have the final say, even if they needed a penalty shoot-out to say it.

Guardian Service

SUNDERLAND: Sorensen, Gray (Oster 114), Thome, Craddock, Wright, Arca (McCartney 87), Thornton, McCann, Kilbane, Phillips, Proctor (Kyle 116). Subs Not Used: Macho, Thirlwell. Booked: Proctor. Goals: Phillips 10, McCann 79.

BLACKBURN: Friedel, McEveley (Douglas 45), Johansson (Grabbi 82), Taylor, Neill, Berg, Tugay, Flitcroft, Thompson, Cole, Yorke (Ostenstad 72). Subs Not Used: Jansen, Kelly. Booked: Neill, Thompson. Goals: Flitcroft 50, 90.

Referee: A D'Urso (Essex).

Sunderland win 3-0 on penalties