Kenwyne Jones hit a late leveler as Sunderland grabbed a share of the points in a fairly tame, but extremely cold Tees-Wear derby. The red and white faithful packed the full-end of the Riverside away allocation, once again implying that Boro could not sell all of their tickets, a poor statement of intent from their fans for what is arguably the game of their season.

Anyways... Sunderland lined up with Fulop in between the sticks, a back four of Collins, Ferdinand, Nosworthy and Chimbonda, a midfield quartet of Malbranque, Whitehead, Richardson and Diouf, with Jones and Cisse leading the line.

The first half was a very poor affair, with neither side threatening their opposing goal keepers or testing two particularly shaky back fours. However Boro could argue they took better advantage of the play, hitting three long range efforts towards Fulop’s goal, thankfully none came to fruition.

And in the last minute of the first half they took full advantage. Stewart Downing was allowed the space and time to charge down the right; he cut inside before squaring to the non-existent Alfonso Alves who blasted home. So that was basically it, a very poor, uninspiring 45 minutes of Tees-Wear derby football that was edged thanks to a poor piece of defending.

The second half saw Sunderland dominate in possession to fail to create any meaningful chances, as Ross Turnbull continued to twiddle his thumbs in the Boro goal. However Ricky Sbragia decided to reshuffle his pack, in the space of 15 minutes he changed the game by bringing on Edwards, Reid and Healy for Malbranque, Diouf and Richardson respectively. Suddenly Sunderland looked like a team capable of doing some damage. Which they eventually did.

With 82 minutes on the clock Reid played in Healy with a great through ball, the Northern Irishman threaded a cross to the waiting Kenwyne Jones, who powered home from 10 yards. 1-1.

Sunderland were a rejuvenated side and nearly won it twice, first through an Edwards header that was frantically cleared off the line, then through Cisse in the dying seconds, who broke free but was fantastically denied by some last-ditch Boro defending.

So the whistle went on a evenly contested Tees-Wear derby, meaning Sunderland have taken four points of the neighbours this season and lie two points ahead of them in the table, giving us little to complain about in that department.

Full Time: Boro 1-1 Sunderland

ALS Man of the Match: Dean Whitehead (ran himself into the ground)

James Henderson

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