Jon Dahl Tomasson hailed “brilliant” Ben Brereton Diaz after his magnificent strike helped Blackburn beat Sunderland 2-0 and go top of the Sky Bet Championship.

The Chile international made the telling contribution, conjuring a special goal with an unstoppable 25-yard effort that found the top corner.

Scott Wharton’s second-half header gave the score a more comfortable look in an even game in which Blackburn were indebted to the ruthlessness of their talisman.

And after his eighth goal of the campaign on his 100th Rovers start gave Blackburn a fourth win in six, Tomasson praised his star striker’s attitude and ability.

He said: “A brilliant finish, I was surprised. I wish I could have scored a goal like Ben did.

“Ben is a brilliant player. That ability to score goals, we love that, and beautiful goals as well. He’s always a threat. He always gets chances, he works hard for the team as well.

“I’ve said it before, when you see that boy coming in in the morning, he’s like a young boy, five or six years old, just getting that ball. Just wants to get that ball and play outside. That love for the game is brilliant to see.

“The ability and finishing is extremely good of course. I think he’s enjoying it as well. Another goal for him and I think he was man of the match for Sky.

“It’s been a fantastic week. We are happy with the result, happy with the performance, and the atmosphere, and we’re thinking about Birmingham.”

Sunderland have won one of their last six games and while Tony Mowbray rued the decision not to award a penalty to his side, he believes the game highlighted the absence of his team’s talisman, Ross Stewart.

He said: “On the bench, they were saying it looked like a stonewall penalty, and the ref was adamant it wasn’t. What do you do?

“Talk about Brereton’s amazing finish, but we could have been 1-0 up with a penalty. It was 22 seconds, the Sky people told me. After that, we were 1-0 down.

On Stewart’s absence, he added: “It was a bit deja vu for us. Dominating possession of the game and not having the key component in any football team to win football matches. We’ve been without him for six or seven games now.

“There is lots of good stuff. I’ve just said to them when you get your centre-forward back, you will win lots of football matches if you can create as many opportunities around the box and with a centre forward with the movement and capabilities of Ross Stewart.

“In the meantime, we have to keep working and find ways to be more ruthless and get more people into the box.”