A double from Trinidad and Tobago striker Kenwyne Jones gave Sunderland their best start to an English Premier League season on Saturday as they cemented a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Blackburn.
Sunderland, keen to impress new boss Steve Bruce, went into the match on the back of a home loss to Chelsea in their first Stadium of Light outing of the campaign which followed on from an opening-day success at Bolton.
Blackburn, coached by former Sunderland player and ex-Bolton and Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce, were looking to avoid their 1000th top flight loss in their history and, more pertinently, their sixth in succession.
Instead, this latest reverse leaves the 1995 champions without a point from their first two games following on from a home slip-up against big spenders Manchester City.
The visitors began brightly and enjoyed swift reward as Gael Givet fired them into a 21st-minute lead with a low effort from the edge of the box.
But Sunderland, roared on by a fanatical home crowd, were level just after the half hour, French midfielder Steed Malbranque feeding Jones, who fired in unerringly from close range.
Buoyed by that, the hosts began visibly to believe increasingly in their ability to take the game to Blackburn and seven minutes after the restart Jones was again milking the plaudits, heading home Lee Cattermole's cross from six yards out.
Morten Gamst Pedersen and Jason Roberts tried to spark a revival but both men spurned half-chances in the final quarter while Benni McCarthy cut a forlorn figure as he had barely a quarter of an hour to impress after coming off the bench to replace ineffectual former Sunderland man El-Hadji Diouf.
Sunderland's big summer signing from Spurs, Darren Bent, failed to make it three goals in three games but made himself equally useful in the dying minutes at the other end after clearing a Pedersen corner at his own near post to ensure the Wearsiders bagged the points to head towards the top six.
Trinis in action today.
English Premier League
Sunderland 2 - 1 Blackburn Rovers - Match
32, 53 - Kenwyne Jones [Full Game]
Carlos Edwards [Not Selected]
Hull City 1 - 0 Bolton Wanderers - Match
Anthony Warner [No Game] Jlloyd Samuel [Sub On 78]
Wigan Athletic 0 - 5 Manchester United - Match
Jason Scotland [Sub On 73]
English League Championship
Crystal Palace 0 - 2 Newcastle United - Match
Stern John [Out Injured]
English League One
Charlton Athletic 2 - 0 Walsall - Match
Clayton Ince [Full Game]
Southampton 1 - 1 Brentford - Match
Jake Thomson [Sub On 46]
English League Two
Shrewsbury Town 1 - 1 Chesterfield - Match
Kevin Austin [Full Game]
English Conference
Mansfield Town 3 - 0 Ebbsfleet United - Match
Ricky Shakes [Not Considered]
Wrexham 1 - 2 Kettering Town - Match
Silvio Spann [Sub Out 66] Andre Boucaud [Full Game]
Scottish Premier League
Celtic 5 - 2 St Johnstone - Match
36 - Collin Samuel [Full Game]
Hamilton Academical 0 - 3 Aberdeen - Match
Marvin Andrews [No Game]
Belgian Jupiler League
Zulte-Waregem 0 - 2 Anderlecht - Match
Khaleem Hyland [Sub Out 83rd]
Welsh Premier League
Connah's Quay 3 - 1 Newi Cefn Druids - Match
Josh Johnson [Full Game]
USA Major League Soccer
DC United 0 - 0 Los Angeles - Match
Julius James [No Game] Christopher Birchall [No Game]
Avery John [No Game]
San Jose 1 - 0 Kansas City - Match
Cornell Glen [Sub Out 39 - Injured]
Trinidad & Tobago Pro League
St. Ann’s Rangers 1 - 4 United Petrotrin - Match
Makan Hislop
Nigel Daniel
8, 25, 74 - Aurtis Whitley [Full Game]
San Juan Jabloteh 2 - 0 Caledonia AIA - Match
Ataullah Guerra Keon Daniel
Dennis Lawrence Russell Latapy 18, 44 - Lester Peltier [Full Game]
Densill Theobald
Radanfah Abu Bakr
Ma Pau SC 2 - 0 FC South End - Match
Anthony Wolfe
Police FC 1 - 5 Defence Force
Aklie Edwards
Keston Williams
52, 62, 85 - Devon Jorsling [Full Game]
USL First Division
Minnesota Thunder 0 - 1 Cleveland City Stars - Match
Stephen Cruickshank [No Game]
Terrence McAllister [No Game]
Ryan Stewart [Full Game]
Carolina RailHawks 0 - 0 Rochester Rhinos - Match
Leslie Fitzpatrick [Sub On 54]
Errol McFarlane [Sub On 87]
Brent Sancho [No Game]
USL Second Division
Charlotte Eagles 1 - 0 Wilmington Hammerheads
Darren Toby [Full Game]
Harrisburg City Islanders 0 - 1 Richmond Kickers
Edson Elcock [Full Game]