Sunderland 0 Blackburn Rovers 0:SAM ALLARDYCE admits to being a bit miffed that Sunderland did not even bother to speak to him about the vacancy created by Roy Keane's resignation but Blackburn Rovers' new manager exerted a small measure of revenge here.
Before kick-off that job was Ricky Sbragia's to lose and it still remains within the Sunderland caretaker manager's grasp, yet Allardyce's relegation-threatened team asked some awkward questions and could easily have departed victorious.
Niall Quinn, Sunderland's chairman, used the match programme to offer an ode to his caretaker while revealing that no one has been interviewed for the post. Interestingly Quinn also made a point of praising the contribution of Bill Beswick, a controversial figure in his former guise as Middlesbrough's psychologist, who has, in the chairman's words, been "a big help to Ricky".
Djibril Cisse boasts manifold strengths but the striker - sporting a stripe of lime-green hair - could do with Beswick reprogramming his mind in a manner which ensures he does not get caught offside as frequently as yesterday. Had Cisse timed his runs more cleverly, Sunderland might have been ahead at the interval.
The power balance shifted markedly during the second period, though, when, despite much intelligent prompting from Andy Reid, Sunderland's lack of natural width started to tell and Blackburn's training-ground choreography began paying off.
Marton Fulop - newly assured after looking a bag of nerves under Keane's management - did well to palm Morten Gamst Pedersen's beautifully whipped-in free-kick on to a post, having earlier seen a Chris Samba "goal" rightly disallowed for handball. Fulop later saved superbly from Keith Andrews after a slick one-two.
Allardyce had cause to kick the advertising hoardings in the 90th minute. Jason Roberts, having outstripped Anton Ferdinand, was undone by the combination of a divot and Nyron Nosworthy's distracting late appearance and side-footed wide with the goal gaping at his mercy.
"I'm disappointed not to have won after the second-half performance," said Allardyce. "But this clean sheet is a good basis for helping us win our relegation fight."
Sbragia knew he had enjoyed a lucky escape. "Thank God Roberts missed the target," he said, "but maybe we deserved that bit of luck."
Allardyce admitted he was both delighted and disappointed after the final whistle. "To say the least, we are disappointed, all the players and myself, not to have taken the three points after a very good second-half performance," he said. "We had not only good, solid, well organised defending, but also some good play in possession and creating some really good chances.
"Keith Andrews, from probably our best move of the day, made a great run from deep and first touch in the box and then didn't tuck it away.
"I don't know whether it was a bad miss or a good save.
"Morten Gamst Pedersen's free-kick looked like it was in the bottom corner, but was tipped on to the post. It was a miraculous save from the goalie.
"And then we got Jason with an open goal and unfortunately, it just got a bobble on it and hit him on the shin instead of the side of the foot and went wide of the post.
"But at the end of the day, it's four points out of six, it's another clean sheet, it's the basis of good things to help us get out of the position we are in."
• Guardian Service
