Roberts miss costs Rovers victory

Blackburn Rovers' Jason Roberts missed an open goal in injury time as they failed to make it two wins out of two under new boss Sam Allardyce in a goalless draw against Sunderland.

Rovers striker Roberts appeared to have done the hard work as Friday's Premier League match at the Stadium of Light neared its end.

He went past Phil Bardsley and onrushing Sunderland goalkeeper Marton Fulop to be left with the seemingly far simpler task of putting the ball into an unguarded net.

But with a miss that seems destined for the kind of football 'lowlights' videos that are often released at Christmas-time in Britain, Roberts somehow side-footed the ball past the right-hand post.

Fulop had earlier kept Sunderland, winning their seventh point in three games under caretaker boss Ricky Sbragia in the match with two fine second-half saves

He palmed Morten Gamst Pedersen's 20-yard curling free-kick onto the post in the 52nd minute and the Hungarian was in action again seven minutes later when he saved bravely at the feet of Keith Andrews after the midfielder had been played in by South Africa's Benni McCarthy.