McCarthy grabs points for Rovers

McCarthy struck home the winner from the spot, and his ninth goal of the season in the 57th minute, just six minutes after Dean Whitehead had missed a penalty for Sunderland.

On a night of misery for Black Cats boss Roy Keane, Dwight Yorke was sent off in the 71st minute for two bookable offences in the space of five minutes.

It proved to be a remarkable second half following a first period which was as uninviting as the raw Lancashire air on a bitterly cold, windy night.

Referee Rob Styles set the tone as he observed just 30 seconds of applause to honour the death of Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell immediately before kick-off rather than the expected minute.

What then followed was tedious, with the best chance falling to an out-of-sorts Rovers, albeit courtesy of a set-piece situation.

When Yorke handled in the 25th minute, David Bentley's 32-yard free-kick had plenty of pace on it, but too much curl as it flashed just wide of the right-hand post.

Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones failed to appear for the second half - as did Rovers' on-song striker Roque Santa Cruz - before Friedel made his telling contribution in the 51st minute.

Centre-back Christopher Samba clumsily challenged Daryl Murphy and Styles pointed to the penalty spot - but Whitehead's spot-kick was tame and Friedel comfortably clutched the shot low to his left.

Within minutes McCarthy showed Whitehead how to take a penalty as he powerfully drove the ball home low and hard. That had come after Styles had penalised Danny Higginbotham for handball, following a thunderous strike from Samba but the decision appeared harsh.