Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Sunderland: Rovers go top of Championship
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Scott Wharton's header ensured Blackburn won the first league meeting between the two sides in more than a decade
Blackburn Rovers went top of the Championship as they beat former manager Tony Mowbray's Sunderland on his first return to Ewood Park.
Ben Brereton Diaz put Rovers ahead when he superbly curled a left-footed effort into the top corner from the edge of the box, seconds after Sunderland had seen a penalty appeal turned down.
Scott Wharton's close-range header soon after half-time put Rovers in control despite a hint of offside.
Sunderland pushed to try and get back into the game but they could not find a way past a resolute home defence as Ryan Hedges' effort from almost halfway with the final kick of the game glanced the Sunderland post.
The win for Rovers, coupled with Norwich's loss at home to Luton Town, sees them go two points clear at the top of the Championship, although Burnley, Sheffield United and QPR could all go above them if they win on Wednesday.
Sunderland boss Mowbray may feel his side were hard done by for both of Blackburn's goals. Dennis Cirkin had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Craig Pawson after going down under a Hedges challenge which replays showed should have been a foul.
Twenty-two seconds later Brereton Diaz was celebrating his 100th Rovers start with a goal - two passes and a blocked shot after Cirkin went down the ball fell to the host's Chilean top scorer and his powerful curling effort gave Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson no chance.
It could have been 2-0 shortly after - Luke O'Nien headed Sammie Szmodics' cross from the six-yard line over the bar with an unmarked Brereton Diaz lying in wait at the back post, while at the other end Jack Clarke had a header easily saved and Pritchard had a free-kick palmed over as Sunderland finally had some efforts on target as the half drew to a close.
But the game was won soon after the break - Hedges' whipped free-kick was glanced home by Wharton, although replays appeared to show the defender was standing just in an offside position as the ball came in.
It appeared to kickstart the visitors into action as they had their best spell of the game - Danny Batth had a header well saved by Thomas Kaminski as Sunderland threatened with an urgency to their passing.
Blackburn continued to defend well as Kaminski saved a Jewison Bennette shot with 10 minutes left before Hedges' outlandish effort in the fifth minute of stoppage time almost embarrassed Patterson.
Blackburn Rovers head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I think we played some good football, especially during the first half.
"Second half I'm always demanding, we could always be better, of course those transition moments where we can create and kill the game totally.
"But overall a great performance, great spirit, and a big compliment to our fans as well, it was a great night.
"We spoke about Ewood Park becoming a fortress, I think we're getting there, it's difficult to come here, it's difficult to play against us."
Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Newcastle:
"On the bench they were saying it looked like a stonewall penalty, and the referee was adamant it wasn't - what do you do?
"I don't want to spend every day speaking about the referees, and yet we seem to be. It's really difficult because I don't want to be that guy who blames the referee.
"I'd talk about Brereton's amazing finish to be honest, but we could have been 1-0 up with a penalty.
"There's lots of good stuff, I've just said to them 'let's keep going, when you get your centre forwards back you will win lots of football matches if you can create as many opportunities around the box with a centre forward of the movement of Ross Stewart.'
"In the meantime we have to keep working on trying to find ways to be more ruthless and get more people in the box."