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BLACK CATS BACK IN BUSINESS
By Tom Adams - Created on 21 Jan 2006
Sunderland claimed just their second win of the season to move 13 points shy of safety with a 1-0 win over West Brom.
The Black Cats are not yet into double figures for the campaign but kept their lingering hopes of a miracle comeback alive as a deflected goal meant Bryan Robson's team missed the chance to do their own hopes of avoiding the drop the world of good.
Sunderland followed a dismal first half by earning their rewards for an improved display when Anthony Le Tallec's shot was deflected in off Steve Watson on 72 minutes, and despite late pressure from the home side they held on for an incredibly rare, but deserved, three points.
An uninspiring first half saw a dearth of opportunities, and the best fell to the home side as Mick McCarthy's men struggled at The Hawthorns.
Former Birmingham midfielder Darren Carter was proving influential, and after chesting down a loose ball he saw an ambitious volley fly wide of the left hand post.
Steve Watson then headed wide, before great interplay from The Baggies saw Ronnie Wallwork given space to drive a low shot at goal - which Kelvin Davis tipped round at full-stretch after a gentle touch from Junichi Inamoto.
Carter suffered the ignominy of producing an air-shot on 25 minutes, and then sent a free-kick well over the bar, but the Baggies midfielder nearly opened up the visitor's defence eleven minutes later for the best chance of the half.
His chipped free-kick was taken down by Watson with Stead misjudging the flight of the ball, and the versatile star decided to pass to Nathan Ellington who fired over - although the former Everton man should perhaps have taken a shot himself.
Robson's men continued to probe down the left flank and Sunderland had Gary Caldwell to thank when the Scottish stopper cleared from under the bar after Martin Albrechtsen turned Julio Arca inside out on 40 minutes.
Tomas Kuszczak, who pulled off one of the saves of the season against Wigan, was left twiddling his thumbs throughout the first period as The Black Cats saw a woeful effort from Jonathan Stead before Tommy Miller skewed a shot wide after a neat one-two with Dean Whitehead.
As the first half petered to a close Ellington saw his header deflected wide after another Carter set-piece, but West Brom could not turn their dominance into an advantage in what was a poor advert for The Premiership.
Perhaps aware that a failure to win would all but end any lingering hopes of one of the most unlikely comebacks in Premiership history, Sunderland came out fighting in the early stages of the first half as Justin Hoyte let fly with a wayward effort.
Arca then should have put The Black Cats in front after Liam Lawrence's cross missed Le Tallec and found the Argentinian arriving in the box - however the wide-man could only steer the ball wide from eight yards out.
The Baggies looked rattled, but hit back with a quick break that saw Ellington twist and turn past Gary Breen before Whitehead denied him with a sliding tackle in the box.
The Duke looked in a predatory mood and after again avoiding the attentions of Breen he saw a fierce long rage effort gathered easily by Davis in the Sunderland goal.
However it was still Sunderland who looked the liveliest and Arca had a free-kick before Lawrence failed to get enough curl on the ball to test the Baggies keeper.
Robson sent on Geoff Horsfield in order to add more firepower to his attack, but the move backfired as Sunderland sent their fans into raptures with the crucial strike on 72 minutes.
Liam Lawrence robbed Darren Carter of possession on the right, with The Baggies appealing for a foul, and the midfielder found Le Tallec who cut inside Watson and saw his effort deflect in off the luckless defender.
West Brom began to lay siege to the Sunderland goal, and even introduced young striker Stuart Nicholson for his debut, but were unable to break through and Greening had a shot deflected wide in injury time as The Black Cats held on to prolong their hopes of avoiding the drop.
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Good win for you, and much needed, but I don't think there's a prayer Sunderland survives. Heck, with all our injuries and controversy, I'm hoping Newcastle keeps clear of the relegation zone itself.
__________________
The Arizona Cardinals...hitch a ride on the bandwagon while there's still room!!!
and
Break the circle of suck, Bidwill, or feel my wrath--Stout, 26 Feb 2006.*
*--Note: this part of Stout's signature line is on hold. It has not yet been deleted, but once the Cardinal's make the playoffs, it shall be removed. Thank you, and I now return you to your regularly sheduled thread.
was coming on here to post that we won - beaten to it
about time but all a bit to late. watched it in my local as it was on PPV over here (not an easy thing as the pub was all black and white on there way home from their game!)
skunks lost boro lost and we won - not a bad day
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Arizona Cardinals - Sunderland AFC - Beer (The Holy Trinity)
Well, I'm not terribly pleased with the disaster that's become Newcastle's season either. We're still hovering just above the relegation zone.
I wish Sunderland could have hung out in the Premiership, but they haven't a prayer.
__________________
The Arizona Cardinals...hitch a ride on the bandwagon while there's still room!!!
and
Break the circle of suck, Bidwill, or feel my wrath--Stout, 26 Feb 2006.*
*--Note: this part of Stout's signature line is on hold. It has not yet been deleted, but once the Cardinal's make the playoffs, it shall be removed. Thank you, and I now return you to your regularly sheduled thread.
Congrats, Black Cats! I was rooting for you to win this thing, but a draw is good too. Alas, it doesn't look possible to remain in the Premiership, but this at least was a good point!
__________________
The Arizona Cardinals...hitch a ride on the bandwagon while there's still room!!!
and
Break the circle of suck, Bidwill, or feel my wrath--Stout, 26 Feb 2006.*
*--Note: this part of Stout's signature line is on hold. It has not yet been deleted, but once the Cardinal's make the playoffs, it shall be removed. Thank you, and I now return you to your regularly sheduled thread.
Congrats, Black Cats! I was rooting for you to win this thing, but a draw is good too. Alas, it doesn't look possible to remain in the Premiership, but this at least was a good point!
Great result for the players and fans. Mick and the lads are going down fighting, they just don't have the talent to stay up.
stuffed again last night - by craig bellamy of all people.
why is Mic mc still in a job???
The way I see it, Mick has proven that he can win in The Championship, so the club may as well keep him on next season and hopefully the Black Cats can get back to The Premiership in 2007-2008.
The way I see it, Mick has proven that he can win in The Championship, so the club may as well keep him on next season and hopefully the Black Cats can get back to The Premiership in 2007-2008.
Then Mick should be fired.
The reason it's so difficult to stay up is because players of the quality that can win the Championship are not quite the level of players needed to field an even average team in the Premiership. I think criticism levelled at McCarthy is overly harsh. They still play hard, and that's about all you can expect out of them.
__________________
The Arizona Cardinals...hitch a ride on the bandwagon while there's still room!!!
and
Break the circle of suck, Bidwill, or feel my wrath--Stout, 26 Feb 2006.*
*--Note: this part of Stout's signature line is on hold. It has not yet been deleted, but once the Cardinal's make the playoffs, it shall be removed. Thank you, and I now return you to your regularly sheduled thread.
The reason it's so difficult to stay up is because players of the quality that can win the Championship are not quite the level of players needed to field an even average team in the Premiership. I think criticism levelled at McCarthy is overly harsh. They still play hard, and that's about all you can expect out of them.
West ham, Wigan ........ need i say more
we are a massive club - 35000 turned up to watch us play spurs (WE HAD 9 F'ING POINTS FOR CRYING OUT LOAD) and its being run like a corner shop!
Fat Bob moon face Murray should go as should mic mac!
WE ARE A JOKE!
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Arizona Cardinals - Sunderland AFC - Beer (The Holy Trinity)
we are a massive club - 35000 turned up to watch us play spurs (WE HAD 9 F'ING POINTS FOR CRYING OUT LOAD) and its being run like a corner shop!
Fat Bob moon face Murray should go as should mic mac!
WE ARE A JOKE!
Well, West Ham I believe had some players left over from the last time they were up, no? As for Wigan, well, perhaps they added the proper players when they were promoted?
You sure have a point about the 9 points.
__________________
The Arizona Cardinals...hitch a ride on the bandwagon while there's still room!!!
and
Break the circle of suck, Bidwill, or feel my wrath--Stout, 26 Feb 2006.*
*--Note: this part of Stout's signature line is on hold. It has not yet been deleted, but once the Cardinal's make the playoffs, it shall be removed. Thank you, and I now return you to your regularly sheduled thread.
we finished the lge about 30 points better than the hammers and about 10 better than wigan - we were the better team going into off seaon! we bought f all the other teams did
we spent 5 mil in players like Stead and Davis who are to be honest an absolute pile of pish! not even going to get started on Andy Gray who is without doubt the worst prem lge footbaler i have ever seen and cost us 1 mil
i am sick to death of this club and the fact that we have a chairman who can not see that he is making the club look like a badly run sweet shop (candy store ) i beyond me
we have 10 points in the lge this season and a couple of weeks ago we lost to Brentford a team 2 divs below us and then to Boro 3-0 at home! no other club in this country would stand by and let this happen - its boils my pi$$
well im off my lunch break now - so will go and WORK to cheer myself up! - thats how bad it is
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Arizona Cardinals - Sunderland AFC - Beer (The Holy Trinity)
about 4 months too late - well done Bob murray you fat idiot!
I like Mick, I think he's a good manager, too bad it came to this. Mick badly overestimated the "talent" on the roster and thinking that he could win with lower division players like he did in The Championship did him in.
Kelvin Davis, Andy Gray and Jon Stead have been huge disappointments. Injuries to Arca and Elliott hurt too.
Some of Mick's decisions are just baffling though. Nyron Nosworthy? The guy is just not Premiership caliber. Gary Breen should not be allowed in a Premiership stadium, much less allowed on the pitch. I think Hoyte and LeTallec will be good players, but not for Sunderland, unfortunately.
) i beyond me 
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