Roque Santa Cruz needed just two minutes to announce his return in style as Blackburn booked their place in the Carling Cup quarter-finals at Sunderland.

The striker headed Blackburn in front with 65 minutes gone after replacing teenager Andy Howarth and then saw Phil Bardsley put through his own goal five minutes later.

Kenwyne Jones, a surprise inclusion after he was sent to see a specialist over his knee injury just yesterday, gave the home side hope with his first goal of the season seconds later.

But the visitors saw the game out to condemn the Wearsiders to a fourth successive defeat in front of a crowd of just 18,555.

It was Blackburn's first win in seven matches and was all the more impressive as it was achieved by a starting line-up which featured seven changes from the weekend.

Manager Roy Keane signalled his intent from the moment he handed in his teamsheet, with Jones joining 18-year-old midfielder Jordan Henderson in a strong side.

After three successive Barclays Premier League defeats, the last of them in sickening style at the Stadium of Light by Portsmouth on Saturday, the need for a moral-boosting victory and a place in the last eight was pressing.

But as he headed for the dressing room at half-time the Irishman will once again have been experiencing mixed emotions.

Just as they had been at the weekend, the Black Cats were the better side during the opening 45 minutes but again failed to make the most of their opportunities.

Opposite number Paul Ince had chosen to make seven changes to his team, but that did not include first-choice keeper Paul Robinson, and the decision was justified.

Having already seen veteran midfielder Tugay block a goalbound Kieran Richardson shot, the England keeper tipped Danny Collins' header over on the half-hour to keep his side level.

He needed the help of the crossbar two minutes later after Jones met Collins' cross with his head, and he was relieved to see Richardson sky a 37th-minute shot after Jones had once again made his presence felt inside the penalty area.

But if Sunderland enjoyed the clearer openings, they do not have things all their own way.

Rovers midfielder Keith Treacy saw an 18th-minute volley dip just wide of Marton Fulop's right post, and the same man was aggrieved not only not to be awarded a 26th-minute penalty for Bardsley's challenge, but to be booked into the bargain.

Sunderland resumed in determined fashion with Jones sending a 48th-minute downward header just wide of Robinson's left post with the keeper scrambling across his line.

Richardson was handed a chance to reprise his match-winning heroics in the Wear-Tyne derby last month when his side were awarded a 54th-minute free-kick for a foul by Zurab Khizanishvili on Steed Malbranque.

However, this time, he blasted his shot inches over to let the visitors off the hook.

His side might have been punished seconds later when defender Christopher Samba fired across the face of goal with the game starting to open up.

Ince knew his side was in need of greater firepower, and he made his move with 27 minutes remaining when he withdrew debutant Andy Howarth and sent on the fit-again Santa Cruz.

It took the Paraguayan little time to make his mark, running on to Samba's flick from Martin Olsson's cross to head past the helpless Fulop.

It was 2-0 within five minutes when Fulop pushed Matt Derbyshire's cross on to Bardsley, who could do nothing as the ball cannoned off him and nestled in his own net.

Keane immediately withdrew Steed Malbranque to send on Andy Reid, and his side were back in the game within seconds when Jones fired left-footed past Robinson to give them hope.

Further reinforcements were added when Daryl Murphy and Grant Leadbitter replaced Jones and Henderson, but it was all to no avail.

For once in his life, Jason Roberts let Bolton off lightly in this lacklustre Lancashire derby. The much-travelled striker has frequently punished Wanderers with his various clubs, but must be developing a sympathetic streak for them, because on either side of half-time he missed the chances that should have won the game.

His first opportunity came from Brett Emerton's cross, which he won unchallenged on the far post, only to steer his header to the wrong side of the upright. Soon after the interval, a chip from Carlos Villanueva threatened to put Roberts clean through, but his first touch was a poor one which took him away from goal and the danger was averted. It was the first miss that really upset Roberts and his manager. "He's gutted," said Paul Ince. "He's got to score. You can make excuses, but he's got to score the goal."

It was his chance, as Ince described it, "to put two fingers up to Gary Megson" – a manager with whom, Roberts had revealed in the week, he had never got on.

Blackburn were without one man whom they would have backed to put that chance away, thanks to Roque Santa Cruz's hamstring strain. "You obviously miss a player of thatcalibre," Ince said of the Paraguay international.

All that meant for Wanderers fans of a nervous disposition, however, was that they were facing two strikers with records as regular scorers against them in Roberts and the former Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester City and Cardiff forward Robbie Fowler. Throw in the fact that Bolton have never beaten Rovers at home in the seven years that both have been in the Premier League and it begins to look more like a home point gained than two lost.

But Megson was having none of that. The Bolton manager's view was that the quantity of chances his side created yesterday made Wanderers the likelier winners. What he had in mind in particular was when the central defender Andy O'Brien had a headed chance as inviting as Roberts', but glanced it wide. "I would expect any of my outfield players to score from that position," said the former Leicester manager.

That chance came in a run of three just before midway in the first half, which also included Matthew Taylor having a curling free-kick pushed round the post and also firing wide from Kevin Davies's flick.

Taylor, who scored a blazing goal in the impressive win at West Ham last time out, also missed the target twice in the second half, but his enterprise down the left made him Bolton's most progressive player.

"He's in the side because he carries a goal threat," said Megson. "He's not scored today, but he looked threatening and there's not enough people in the team scoring goals." Jason Roberts would know exactly what he meant.

Paraguayan and Blackburn Rovers striker Roque Santa Cruz has intimated that he is considering leaving Ewood Park for Champions League Football.

He has already been offered a contract with Manchester City but turned it down for a renewal of his contract with Blackburn Rovers instead.

Speaking to the press on Friday Santa Cruz stated that he may have to start looking for a club that could challenge for the English Premier League title as well, as he thought, at this stage, Blackburn Rovers were not quite able to do that.

He concluded by saying that he has committed himself in the short term to his current club as it is a wonderful club in which to be a part of and he feels indebted to the club for what they have done for him over the last few years.