A GOAL two minutes from time from striker Jonathan Walters earned Rovers an unlikely victory and lifted them towards the top four of the FA Premier Reserve League at Morecambe last night.

Walters struck the decisive blow when he met a Burton O'Brien corner at the near post and glanced a neat header in off the underside of the bar.

It was a fitting reward for a lively performance from Walters but came against the run of play in the second half.

Rovers had been the better side before the break and played some neat football to keep Sunderland on the back foot.

However, Alan Murray's men lost their grip after the re-start and it took a couple of fine saves from John Filan and some wasteful finishing from the visitors to keep them in contention.

Walters had a chance after just five minutes after getting in behind a Sunderland defence which included first-team men Darren Williams and George McCartney but his low shot was well saved by Jurgen Macho.

Simon Grayson then joined the attack and saw an angled shot flash across the face of goal and, with Neil Danns, Jerome Watt and Burton O'Brien showing some neat footwork in midfield, it seemed only a matter of time before Rovers would make the breakthrough.

However, a Walters header straight at Macho from an O'Brien cross was the nearest Blackburn came again, while they survived a scare at the other end when a Thomas Butler shot hit the bar following a deflection off Fred Murray.

The tide turned after half-time with Sunderland taking control and with 51 minutes gone Daniele Dichio clipped the bar with a shot on the turn from 12 yards.

Filan then took centre stage, smothering a close-range Kevin Kyle effort when the Sunderland striker should have scored and twice getting down well to deny lively wingman Butler.

Kyle saw another goalbound effort blocked before Walters popped up to steal the points.

ROVERS RES...1 SUNDERLAND RES...0

BLACKBURN: Filan, Grayson, Murray, Dunning, Greer, Howson, Watt (Donnelly 69), Danns, Walters, Ostenstad, O'Brien. Subs not used: Taylor, Robinson, Morgan, Hockenhull.

SUNDERLAND: Macho, Harrison, McCartney, Williams, Byrne, Thirlwell, Bellion, Medina (Dickman 81), Dichio, Kyle, Butler. Subs not used: Clark, Kennedy, Marchant, Capper.