This is how it played out as Sunderland are beaten following two controversial Blackburn Rovers goals

Ben Brereton Diaz put his side ahead with a magnificent first-half strike, but one that came just moments after Sunderland felt they should have had a penalty for what appeared to be a clear trip on Jack Clarke.

And while Sunderland poorly defended a free kick which swirled into the back of the net just after the break, replays appeared to suggested that the officials had failed to spot a clear offside in front of the beaten Anthony Patterson.

Tony Mowbray’s side battled tenaciously thereafter but it was a night of few clear cut chances for them, some tidy general play rarely converting into significant opportunities.

Both sides were looking to move the ball out from the back and it made for an engaging start to the contest.

Sunderland carved out a big early opening when Pritchard and Clarke combined nicely in the left-hand channel, but after bursting the box Dennis Cirkin could only drive his effort wide of the far post.

Blackburn threatened on the break as Brereton Diaz blazed over from the edge of the box, and after those early exchanges the game settled into a rhythm where both sides looked comfortable on the ball without producing the quality required when they approached the final third.

Mowbray’s side were almost given a major boost when Brereton Diaz tried to take a quick free kick near his own box, playing the ball straight down Pritchard’s throat. The attacking midfielder took a moment to settle himself but couldn’t hit the target.

Then came the controversial moment, Embleton slipping a pass to Clarke just inside the box. Clarke appeared to get to the ball before being tripped by Hedges, but the referee waved play on and the hosts surged down the left. Sunderland thought they had survived the danger, but a loose ball ran to Brereton Diaz just outside the box and he curled a glorious effort into the far corner.

It was an ominous moment for Sunderland given that the team scoring the first goal has won every one of Blackburn’s Championship games this season. The hosts were buoyed by their strike but after a difficult spell Sunderland ended the half on top, if not necessarily carving out chances. Kaminski was able to save easily when Clarke headed Luke O’Nien’s cross towards goal, but the goalkeeper had to scramble to tip a free kick from Pritchard over the bar shortly afterwards.

Sunderland’s task grew even greater shortly after the break, with a free kick from Wharton on the right flank swerved all the way into the far coener. It was poor officiating, though replays strong suggested that an offside flag should have been raised for the Blackburn player who ran across Patterson and perhaps got a decisive flick on the ball.

The Black Cats were spirited in their response, Kaminski saving well from Batth at close range. It had been an excellent response from the visitors but as the game headed into the closing stages it was becoming increasingly scrappy, a scenario that suited the hosts much the better. They twice went close through Brereton Diaz on the break, though substitute Bennette served notice of his threat by stinging Kaminski’s palms from just inside the box.

Sunderland pushed but struggled to build any real spell of pressure, and that meant Blackburn were in the end able to comfortably retain their lead, and in truth a touch more precision in their counter-attacking play could have produced more.

It was a night of bitter frustration for the Black Cats, compounded by an additional injury concern to Aji Alese.

Sunderland XI: Patterson; O’Nien, Batth, Alese (Hume, 72), Cirkin; Evans (Michut, 80), Neil (Amad, 64); Roberts, Pritchard (Bennette, 64), Embleton (Ba, 64) ; Clarke

Subs: Bass, Michut, Wright

Blackburn Rovers XI: Kaminski; Brittain, Hyam, Morton, Szmodics (Dolan, 77), Gallagher (Vale, 77), Wharton (S), Carter, Hedges, Brereton Diaz, Garrett

Subs: Pears, Mola, Buckley, Phillips, Wharton (A)

Bookings: Pritchard, 30 Morton, 40 Cirkin, 47 Szmodics, 65 Bennette, 65 Carter, 74

Attendance: 15,171