AS IF these teams haven’t seen enough of each other already, they must now play for the fifth time in less than three months. Their replay at Ewood Park a week on Wednesday follows this desperately dour stalemate on Wearside.

Despite the prospect of earning a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup, it will be an extra game both sides could have done without, given their apparent greater priorities towards the bottom of the Premier League.

To that end, and with important midweek league fixtures to come, both managers went without their first-choice line-ups, and it showed.

Despite the best efforts of Sunderland midfielder Andy Reid, quality was in short supply. In Sunderland’s case they carried little attacking threat without the presence up front of top-scorer Djibril Cisse and of Kenwyne Jones for most of the game. It was past the hour before Jones got his chance to show why Harry Redknapp wants to take him to Tottenham.

Blackburn, who at least chalked up another clean sheet and maintained their unbeaten run under the management of Sam Allardyce, did have Roque Santa Cruz on starting duty for the first time in more than a month, but he eased himself back in gently.

Santa Cruz scored here in Blackburn’s Carling Cup win in November and again had one of the best chances but with just Martin Fulop to beat he shot tamely against the goalkeeper’s legs. There was also an early header from Christopher Samba.

“They are the sort of chances we expect to convert. The way we have been defending, if we had got one goal it would have got us the win,” said Allardyce.

At least by the time of the replay Santa Cruz’s immediate future will have been resolved. Despite his apparent lethargy yesterday, the Paraguay international, who has hankered for a move to Manchester City, is still a handful as a target man.

From one of his layoffs Morten Gamst Pedersen thought he had struck a winning goal in the final minute of the first half. Pedersen’s fiercely hit shot beat Fulop, but Pascal Chimbonda, who excelled as a makeshift central defender, made a remarkable goalline clearance.

“He prefers playing centre- back. He played there a few times at Tottenham and they were his best performances,” said Chimbonda’s manager, Ricky Sbragia, who insisted he had picked a team he believed capable of going through. “It might have been ideal if one of us had won the game but we have got enough players for the next few games,” he added.

Pedersen volleyed slightly wide after an hour, having just switched to his preferred left flank as Andrew Haworth was given a lively runout on the opposite wing. Blackburn would not come that close again.

With Jones finally pressed into service in the 67th minute, Sunderland finished strongly but could not force the decisive goal. A pull-back from Jones was lifted over the crossbar by Steed Malbranque.

Then, with a couple of minutes to go, Chimbonda had the chance to score his first goal for Sunderland but despite wrong-footing Paul Robinson, he could not steer his shot the right side of the post.

Star man: Pascal Chimbonda (Sunderland)

Yellow cards: Blackburn: Samba, Olsson, Mokoena

Referee: L Probert

Attendance: 22,634

SUNDERLAND: Fulop 6, Bardsley 6 (McCartney 65min), Chimbonda 8, Ferdinand 7, Collins 7, Edwards 6, Leadbitter 7, Reid 7, Malbranque 6, Chopra 5, Healy 5 (Jones 67min)

BLACKBURN: Robinson 6, Simpson 6, Samba 7, Nelsen 7, Warnock 7 (Givet 73min), Pedersen 6, Mokoena 5, Grella 6, Olsson 4 (Haworth 56min, 6), Santa Cruz 5 (Villanueva 67min), McCarthy 5

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