Reid it and weep…

Still no home win all season, and yet for the first time this season, bearing in mind the despair experienced following Sunderland, the crowd fell under thirty thousand.

It may be a sign of things to come, and yet another warning to Murray. While the protests are simply seen as harmless name-calling to Murray, dropping attendances are the sticks and stones that will ultimately break his Sunderland bones. Without the fan base, this club is nothing.

And without wanting to draw too much attention to the protests when there was still a game taking place, it seems it is the only action that happens at The Stadium of Light these days.

For once again, for the countless time this season, Sunderland succumbed to a lame defeat at home to an under-par Premiership football team.

Despite a good start, as usual Sunderland failed to capitalise and Blackburn, predictably, took the lead on 15 minutes. Stephen Reid was allowed to run the length of Sunderland’s half before firing a shot past Kelvin Davis. (if I had a pound for every time I’ve written those final six words this season…)

One of Sunderland’s most improved players this season, Davis kept the score down with a smart stops from Reid, after great work from the typically lively Bellamy, and Brett Emerton, clawing away the Australian’s header from a corner.

Sunderland’s best chance of the first half was a Rory Delap header, excellently saved by Brad Friedel, coming only moments after a penalty shout, as Reid made a clumsy challenge on Delap, though appeals were waved away by the referee.

Despite the majority of possession in the second half, Sunderland created little in the way of chances, apart from a glorious one on one chance that Chris Brown somehow managed to spurn.

And as the players ensured that the talking points would stay off the field, the PA announcer did his bit too, warning Sunderland fans that the Murray Gates would remain shut incase of protests following the full time whistle.

Needless to say, this did not go down too well.