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A superb second half performance from Sunderland saw them clinch all three points in a 2-1 Premier League win over Blackburn at Ewood Park.

Paul Ince had a simple team talk to deliver after Christopher Samba gave his side a deserved lead on the stroke of half-time.

The Black Cats came roaring back after the break, however, with goals from Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse giving the visitors a victory justified by their second-half performance.

The home side began in electrifying fashion, piling bodies into the box to greet Morten Gamst Pedersen's crosses and throw-ins as if it were a set-piece drill on the training ground.

First Zurab Khizanishvili misdirected a free header wide of Martin Fulop's near post in the seventh minute, then Santa Cruz struck the crossbar a minute later with a near-identical header which really should have given Rovers an early lead.

When the goal finally did come, on the stroke of half-time, it was the imposing figure of Christopher Samba who rose majestically above two Sunderland defenders to power his header past Fulop.

Rather than being a solitary set-piece strike, Samba's effort epitomised Rovers' approach of exploiting the precise deliveries from Pedersen.

Sunderland appeared rejuvenated after the break and Jones almost retained parity with a header which struck the bar from close range in the 47th minute.

Two minutes later, Jones did level the scores, capitalising on Robinson's tame punch with an overhead from five yards out.

Kieran Richardson brought a fine save out of Robinson, keen to atone for his error, with an exquisitely-flighted free-kick - a replica of Pedersen's effort in the first half.

The visitors' vociferous appeals for a penalty in the 67th minute were waved away by referee Steve Tanner, when Danny Collins's cross was blocked by Danny Simpson, but replays were inconclusive.

Cisse's opportunist strike in the 71st minute was enough for Roy Keane's side to seal a hard-fought win, delicately toe-poking his effort past the onrushing Robinson from Dean Whitehead's threaded through ball.

Rovers were denied a late equaliser when desperate Sunderland defending blocked shots from Santa Cruz and Aaron Mokoena in a furious scramble in the box, but the visitors survived.

Blackburn's run of winless games in the league was extended to seven, while Keane's Sunderland leap out of the bottom three to go 11th.

Dan Quarrell / Eurosport