Allardyce makes winning start

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Benni McCarthy gave them the ideal start when drilled home a ninth-minute penalty after Morten Gamst Pedersen was felled by Ibrahima Sonko.

Jason Roberts stabbed home another nine minutes later before McCarthy added his second in the 27th minute and was denied a hat-trick by a post after the interval.

Blackburn went ahead when McCarthy played a neat ball into the penalty area for Pedersen who was hacked down by Sonko.

Referee Peter Walton pointed to the spot and McCarthy blasted home his first Barclays Premier League goal since November 1.

Rovers were gifted a second goal in the 18th minute when Brett Emerton's drilled cross to the far post was deflected into the path of Roberts who stabbed home from close range.

McCarthy scored his second in the 27th minute after good link-up play with Roberts.

When Stoke goalkeeper Steve Simonsen could only parry a shot from Roberts, McCarthy pounced from 12 yards.

Blackburn did not have everything their own way and goalkeeper Paul Robinson had to dive low to his left to comfortably claim Ricardo Fuller's glancing header in the second half.

Simonsen then pulled off a great save from Pedersen's close-range strike, with Roberts flagged offside as he followed up.