SUNDERLAND GET OFF TO PERFECT START

Sunderland came from behind in the most impressive fashion’s against Blackburn to record a much-needed win in the dying minutes of the game. Blackburn were leading the game 1-0 going into the final 10 min, but crucial substitutions from the new manager Martin O’Neill helped Sunderland to overturn the one goal deficit to a two-goal lead.

The three points against Blackburn provided them with much-needed breathing space from the relegation zone given that teams like Wigan had been picking up points in the last few weeks. Now, Sunderland defender Phil Bardsley has said that it took something special for them to beat Blackburn when everything looked beyond them.

Sunderland equalised through former Blackpool midfielder David Vaughan and Sebastian Larsson provided the much needed a goal just minutes before the final whistle. The 2-1 final result was extremely surprising for many who had been leaving the ground just a few minutes ago in the thought that Sunderland would never be able to get past Blackburn. This was Martin O’Neill’s first game in charge after the former Aston Villa manager watched his side lose by the same score against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend. Blackburn defence held pretty strong up until then and Phil Bardsley reckons that it took something special to break them.

“Ten minutes made the world of difference. We dominated large parts of the game – Blackburn didn’t get over the halfway line that often in the second half and we put them under so much pressure. We needed that killer instinct and finally we got there in the last 10 minutes. It doesn’t matter when you get the goals as long as you end up with the three points on the board,” Phil Bardsley said after the win on the club’s official website. The win keeps Sunderland just two points ahead of the drop zone.