Samba sees red in Sunderland draw

Blackburn had their captain Christopher Samba sent off in a disappointing goalless draw with Sunderland at Ewood Park.

Samba saw red in first-half stoppage-time after bringing down Danny Welbeck just before the Black Cats forward could burst into the box.

Darren Bent, who started the game having shaken off the injury which forced him out of England's match against Montenegro, had earlier wasted a glorious chance to open the scoring, and the visitors were unable to make their man advantage count after the break as it finished all square.

After a scrappy opening, Ahmed Elmohamady guided a header into Lee Cattermole's path, who cut into the box and went down claiming Gael Givet had fouled him. Referee Lee Probert waved play on, with replays suggesting any contact had been minimal.

Morten Gamst Pedersen nearly opened the scoring with a swerving, dipping free-kick that Simon Mignolet - again preferred in goal for the Wearsiders to Craig Gordon - managed to tip over the bar.

Bent then squandered a good opportunity, the Black Cats' top scorer latching on to a long ball after a mistake by Givet but shooting weakly at Paul Robinson in a one-on-one situation.

Then in first-half stoppage-time Samba brought down Welbeck just outside the box. The Rovers skipper was given his marching orders, with Phillip Bardsley striking the resulting free-kick against the wall and Bent firing the rebound wide.

In the second half Benjani had to come off after sustaining a knock and Mame Biram Diouf was sent on, while Boudewijn Zenden, who had come on for Steed Malbranque, got a header on target which Robinson saved.

The newly-introduced Diouf tried a snapshot that did little to trouble Mignolet and Asamoah Gyan went closer with a curling shot that slipped narrowly wide.

Boudewijn Zenden also had a speculative shot towards the end but the game had been petering out for some time by then and a 0-0 draw seemed the only fair result by the final whistle.