Rovers' form at Ewood Park continues to cause concern as they slipped to a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Sunderland.

The Wearsiders gained their revenge after being knocked out of the Carling Cup in midweek as two second half goals completed a turnaround.

Rovers had battered Sunderland in the opening period, Roque Santa Cruz saw a header crash off the bar, whilst Pedersen and Andrews were both denied by stopper Martin Fulop.

The home side only had Christopher Samba's 45th minute header to show for their efforts and that proved to be their downfall as the visitors laid siege to Paul Robinson's goal in equal fashion in the second half.

Djibril Cisse served notice when he headed onto the crossbar just a minute after the restart, but when Robinson couldn't hold Malbranque's corner kick Kenwyne Jones headed in the loose ball from two yards.

With Rovers struggling to get a foothold in the game the visitors took full advantage and when Malbranque headed over the top Cisse made no mistake in lifting the ball over Robinson and into the back of the net the comeback was complete.

Rovers huffed and puffed but never put Sunderland under any sort of concerted pressure, Aaron Mokoena saw an effort blocked on the line two minutes from time but that was the only time they threatened in a disappointing second half display.

Defeat leaves Rovers with just one win on home soil, perhaps they can draw comfort that their next two matches are away from home.

Paul Ince had made six changes to the side that defeated Sunderland in midweek, although illness played some part in that with captain Ryan Nelsen and Martin Olsson both absent. The incomers being Andre Ooijer, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Stephen Warnock, Keith Andrews, and up front Roque Santa Cruz and Jason Roberts.

Sunderland made just the one change from Wednesday's defeat, Teemu Tainio getting the nod ahead of Jordan Henderson.

The home side were fast out of the traps creating a host of chances in the opening period of the game. Just two minutes in saw a flowing passing move from Rovers, Andre Ooijer, operating at left-back, lofted a ball into the area where Keith Andrews nodded back for Warnock to run onto but he put his left-footed strike wide of goal.

As Rovers pressed for an early opener, they started to cause all sorts of problems for the Sunderland defence from a series of corner kicks. Morten Gamst Pedersen's delivery from the right causing untold problems for the visitors, Zurab Khizanishvili saw a near-post header scrambled away on seven minutes, then from the resulting corner kick, Roque Santa Cruz slammed his header against the crossbar.

It was all one way traffic in a pulsating opening period from Rovers, Martin Fulop being a busy man in the Sunderland goal, diving to his right to push aside a free-kick from Pedersen on twelve.

It took until the 20th minute for the visitors to threaten Rovers' goal, Kenwyne Jones muscling his way past Khizanishvili, but his weak shot was easily dealt with by Robinson.

Then Djibril Cisse was handed a chance from Steed Malbranque's pin-point throughball, but although the Frenchman lifted the ball over the advancing Robinson, he put his clipped effort wide of goal.

Fulop again came to the rescue of Roy Keane's side in the 32nd minute when he dived to save Keith Andrew's driven free-kick as Rovers continued to press for the opening goal.

But just as it looked like they would go in at the break frustrated for all their efforts, the opening goal finally arrived. And it came as no surprise that it came from a corner kick. Pedersen had caused untold problems with his corners from the right, but for the first time on the afternoon the Norwegian took one from the left and Chris Samba rose highest in the area to head home with the last kick of the first half.

But all of Rovers' hard work was undone almost immediately after the restart. They had already been served notice when Djibril Cisse's headed Malbranque's cross against the crossbar. But like Rovers at the end of the first, Sunderland were to level from a corner kick of their own. Richardson's ball into the area was palmed away by Paul Robinson but straight into the path of Kenwyne Jones and he made no mistake from two yards.

Sunderland continued to press Rovers back in their half, Paul Robinson redeeming himself somewhat when tipping over Kieran Richardson's fierce free-kick from the edge of the area on 58 minutes.

In a bid to wrestle control of the game back, Paul Ince threw on Carlos Villanueva and Matt Derbyshire for Jason Roberts and Keith Andrews, but it did little to stem the tide as Sunderland continued to dominate

On 72 minutes the comeback was complete for Sunderland, as Rovers' defending grew increasingly desperate they had three chances to clear their lines but failed to do so, Steed Malbranque's header forward saw Djibril Cisse break free and he lifted the ball over the helpless Robinson to put the visitors in front.

Rovers had seen very little of the ball in an attacking sense in the second period, totally opposite from when they were in so much control in the first. In a last attempt to get something from the game Tugay was brought on for Pedersen.

But even he couldn't provide the spark Rovers needed, a Villanueva corner two minutes from time almost saw Mokoena scramble home but his goalbound strike was blocked on the line.

So it was the visitors that celebrated a rare victory this season, the result leaving Rovers with just the one home win to their name this campaign as they slip ominously into the bottom three.

ROVERS: Robinson, Simpson, Samba, Khizanishvili, Ooijer, Andrews (sub Villanueva 62 mins), Mokoena, Warnock (c), Pedersen (sub Tugay 77 mins), Roberts (sub Derbyshire 62 mins), Santa Cruz.

Subs not used: Brown (GK), Fowler, Treacy, Judge.

SUNDERLAND: Fulop, Bardsley, Ferdinand, Nosworthy, Collins, Tainio (sub Reid 54 mins), Richardson, Whitehead (c), Malbranque (sub Leadbitter 83 mins), Cisse (sub Yorke 83 mins), Jones.

Subs not used: Colgan (GK), Diouf, Murphy, Henderson.

Booked: Warnock, Khizanishvili, Mokoena (Rovers), Tainio, Ferdinand, Collins, Jones (Sunderland)

Attendance: 21,798