CRAIG Bellamy decided to do his talking on the pitch rather than in a Welsh police station last night as Blackburn Rovers got back on track in their quest for European football.

The former Newcastle striker, who is wanted for questioning by police in connection with an alleged attack in a Cardiff nightclub, showed few signs of the mental strain those allegations have no doubt placed upon him by plundering two typically opportunist goals that piled further misery on Sunderland's hapless manager Mick McCarthy.

In fact, the effervescent 26-year-old might even have rounded off a difficult few days by carrying off the match ball here had the woodwork not denied him his first ever hat-trick in Blackburn colours.

On a night when Rovers boosted their chances of claiming that coveted sixth spot without ever having to hit top gear, it was the quality of Bellamy's finishing that ultimately proved the difference between these two Premiership rivals.

Now the challenge for Mark Hughes is to find a way of keeping his most-prized asset fit and healthy for the rest of the season, because when Bellamy's in this kind of mood, there's no doubt Rovers look a different proposition from the side that lost so meekly at West Brom and Everton.

"I think you saw the value of Craig tonight and the qualities that he gives us when he's fit and well," said Hughes.

"He gives us a different option and you sense the apprehension in opposing defences when he's around.

"They know they can't allow themselves to switch off because he's a player that will exploit any lapses.

"He scored two great goals and he could have had a hat-trick in the end, so he's a quality player and it's vital that we keep him fit between now and the end of the season because he's going to be very important for us."

Bellamy took his tally to 11 goals in 21 appearances since his £4 million move from Newcastle with this brace, and it's worth noting that Rovers have won all but one of the six games in which he has found the net this season, an intriguing statistic that perhaps underlines his worth to this team.

When Hughes' Welsh wizard is fit and firing on all cylinders, Rovers are a force to be reckoned with because he provides that cutting edge in the final third that all teams need to be successful.

This was hardly a vintage Blackburn performance, yet two unerring finishes from Bellamy secured three vital Premiership points at a time when Hughes' side were in major need of a shot in the arm.

Confidence in the Rovers camp had been damaged by back-to-back defeats at West Brom and Everton and another one here, against a side being labelled as the worst ever in Premiership history, would have constituted a disaster.

Sunderland began the night needing six more points to avoid posting the lowest ever total in English top flight football since three points for a win was introduced 25 years ago.

Remarkably, the Black Cats had lost 14 of their previous 17 league engagements and, based on this sighting, it's not difficult to see why they boast such a pitiful record.

They must have carved out close to half a dozen presentable chances during the course of the evening, but what they lack is a decent goal-poacher in the Bellamy mould to finish things off and, without that quality at the sharp end, it's little wonder they face a swift return to the Championship.

In contrast, Rovers are now looking upwards again after successfully stopping the rot.

Hughes had felt the need to dish out a rare rollicking earlier in the wake of that dismal showing at Everton and it appeared to have the desired effect because, unlike Saturday at Goodison, Rovers made a high tempo start here, getting in Sunderland's faces from the off.

A slick piece of play on the edge of the area led to an early chance for Florent Sinama Pongolle, but his volley from an acute angle flashed narrowly over the crossbar.

Then Tugay, who was back in the starting line-up again after being dropped to the bench against Everton, sprung the visitors' offside trap with a carefully weighted ball over the top, but Steven Reid's touch was just too heavy, allowing Kelvin Davis to scramble the ball clear.

It was far from all one-way traffic, however, and the Black Cats had two golden chances to take the lead themselves.

Nyron Nosworthy broke clear on the right but failed to pick out the unmarked Kevin Kyle, who would have had a tap-in had the full-back's cross been more accurate.

Then Kyle got into a similar position himself on the left but Liam Lawrence failed to polish off his low centre.

As the home fans' frustrations started to grow, Bellamy then lifted the mood by breaking the deadlock in the 38th minute.

Morten Gamst Pedersen clipped a cross into the centre, Pongolle challenged Davis, and when the ball squirmed free, there was Bellamy to gobble up a simple chance from six yards out.

That goal knocked the snuffing out of Sunderland and they could have slipped further behind two minutes into the second half had Davis not reacted sharply to shovel away Reid's header.

As it was, Rovers did grab a second in the 63rd minute, which effectively put the points beyond reach, and it was that man Bellamy again who was the destroyer-in-chief.

Tugay sent Sergio Peter scampering away down the left with another delightful pass and the young German, on as a sub for the disappointing Pedersen, delivered a peach of a cross towards the far post, where Bellamy had pulled away from his marker to guide a header back past Davis into the corner of the net.

Sunderland, to their great credit, refused to throw in the towel and they might have grabbed a consolation had one of their strikers got on the end of a couple of raking crosses.

But, inevitably, it was Bellamy who almost snatched another at the opposite end when he struck the post with a thumping drive from 25 yards in the 88th minute.