A LOOK at the key moments and facts from Rovers' opening game against Sunderland.

ROVERS

BRAD FRIEDEL: A relatively quiet afternoon for the big American although he needed to be on his toes to tip aside a late free-kick from Reyna...7

LUCAS NEILL: Solid enough defensively but his distribution let him down at times, particularly in the first half...6

NILS JOHANSSON: Asked to fill in at left-back and he didn't let anyone down with a tidy performance...7

MARTIN TAYLOR: Looks set for a big role this season and he picked up where he left off against Fulham in May with a solid defensive display...7

CRAIG SHORT: A colossus at the back, comfortably snuffing out the threat posed by Sunderland on the break...7

TUGAY: Showed what he's capable of in flashes but he never quite ran the show like we know he can...6

DAVID DUNN: Didn't impose himself as Peter Reid strung five across the middle in a bid to deny Rovers space...6

KEITH GILLESPIE: Didn't get the kind of service he needs to make maximum use of his talents down the right...6

ANDY COLE: Linked up well with Duff at times but rarely got a clear sight of goal apart from a shot on the turn which he made out of nothing...7

DWIGHT YORKE: Made a relatively quiet debut but he was starved of the kind of silver service he was used to at United...6

*DAMIEN DUFF: Looked the one man capable of rising above the mediocrity. At the heart of all Rovers' best work in the second half...8

SUBS:

CRAIG HIGNETT (for Gillespie, 80)...5

NOT USED: CICCIO GRABBI, HAKAN UNSAL, HENNING BERG, ALAN KELLY (GK)

THE OPPOSITION:

SORENSEN...A safe pair of hands. 7

WRIGHT...Had his hands full with Duff. 6

GRAY...Quietly efficient. 6

BABB...A sound debut. 6

BJORKLUND...Solid defender. 7

REYNA...Came the closest to scoring. 7

KILBANE...Booed by his own fans. 6

McCANN...Midfield spoiler. 6

McATEER...Workmanlike. 6

BUTLER...His delivery lacked quality. 6

PHILLIPS...Isolated in attack. 6

SUBS: QUINN (for Kilbane, 89)

NOT USED: CRADDOCK, KYLE, ARCA, MACHO (GK)

TIME FOR ACTION:

11 Claudio Reyna's free kick flashes inches wide of the post

32 Andy Cole fires over with a shot on the turn

41 Thomas Butler picks out Jason McAteer with a cross but his header sails over

43 Damien Duff beats Thomas Sorensen to a through ball but Joachim Bjorkland gets back to clear off the line

55 Craig Short heads over from a David Dunn centre

62 Lucas Neill looks to the sky in disbelief as his header lands in the grateful arms of Sorensen

76 Brad Friedel has to react smartly to tip aside another Reyna free kick

83Duff misses a golden chance to win it when he plants a header straight at Sorensen

STATS:

Goal attempts: Rovers 13 Sunderland 10

Shots on target: Rovers 4 Sunderland 4

Woodwork: Rovers 0 Sunderland 0

Offsides: Rovers 0 Sunderland 3

Corners: Rovers 6 Sunderland 0

Free kicks: Rovers 14 Sunderland 13

REFEREE...D Elleray (Middlesex) 7

Bookings: Rovers; Cole (foul) Sunderland; Wright (foul), Kilbane (foul)

Sendings off: None

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