Sunderland 2-1 Blackburn Rovers: Ellis Simms scores late winner for Black Cats

Sunderland's Ross Stewart celebrates his equaliser from the penalty spot

Substitute Ellis Simms snatched a stoppage-time winner as Sunderland came from behind to beat Blackburn at the Stadium of Light, where Ross Stewart scored at both ends.

Striker Stewart, making his first start in four months, headed Tyler Morton's free-kick into his own net to give Rovers an early lead.

But Stewart atoned for his error two minutes later, winning and scoring a penalty to make it 1-1.

It looked as though the points would be shared until Blackburn failed to clear a free-kick and Simms stabbed home.

The Black Cats dominated the early stages and Patrick Roberts went close with a drive that was charged down by Rovers' Bradley Dack.

Blackburn opened the scoring against the run of play as Morton delivered a free-kick from the left and Stewart - who recently returned after a thigh injury - could only divert the ball over the line under pressure from Daniel Ayala.

However, the home side responded immediately, working the ball into the Rovers penalty area and Stewart went tumbling under John Buckley's challenge, prompting referee Darren Bond to award a spot-kick.

The Scotland international stepped up to slam the equaliser past Thomas Kaminski and Sunderland looked the more likely to edge in front, with Jack Clarke breaking to set up a chance that Roberts dragged wide.

Stewart should have scored again after the break, scuffing his shot tamely at Kaminski after another rampaging run from Clarke.

The home side continued to threaten going forward and substitute Trai Hume and Amad Diallo also forced saves from the Rovers goalkeeper.

At the other end, Dack's through-ball teed up an opportunity for Morton, but Anthony Patterson sprang low to his left to tip his effort behind.

Sunderland eventually made the breakthrough a minute into added time, winning the second ball from Luke O'Nien's free-kick and Simms calmly slotting into the bottom corner for his third goal in five games.

That late strike means Blackburn, who remain third in the table, are yet to record a single draw this season, with 24 matches played.

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray:

"Ultimately, I think we deserved the victory against a very good side.

"We were fairly dominant in the first half but conceded from a set piece - they have four six-foot-three players in there and it's always difficult.

"Someone told me that they hadn't lost a game this season where they had conceded first, and so that tells you it is a great effort from us to get the winner."

Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson:

"We're disappointed. We can't concede that late. When you have a game that is that close, you have to make sure you get something and bring something back.

"We didn't do that. We need to learn from those situations - to concede a goal that late in a very close game, it hurts.

"We have had some great wins and enjoyed them and overperformed sometimes, but we have underperformed sometimes too. That is because we are so young.

"Of course, it hurts. It's very disappointing, conceding a goal that late. It shouldn't happen. But we have to be better in those situations."