Black Cats go down fighting

Friday, 14, Apr 2006 09:53

Sunderland have tonight been relegated from the Premiership but Kevin Ball's side will go down with pride after holding Manchester United to 0-0 draw.

United threw everything at the Black Cats this evening, but a combination of superb goalkeeping by Kelvin Davis and backs-to-the-wall defending left the home side totally frustrated at Old Trafford.

And without even playing, tabletoppers Chelsea now look all but certain to go on to claim the Premiership title, with a win against Bolton tomorrow set to give them a nine-point advantage over United with just four games to play.

More than 72,000 spectators turned up in Manchester for what they must have expected would be a simple three points.

But they did not count on a superb show of resistance from the Black Cats, who claimed only their 12th point of the season in the most unexpected of circumstances.

After a frustrating first-half, an increasingly desperate United came at Sunderland more and more in the second period and Old Trafford rose to greet the injury-ravaged Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with 30 minutes to go as Sir Alex Ferguson looked to secure the all-important victory.

The Norwegian had a shot on goal blocked by the impressive Dean Whitehead while Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy were denied by Davis, who made a string of fine saves throughout the game.

Four minutes of stoppage time were not enough for United to make the breakthrough and the Red Devils players trudged off at the full-time to the sound of boos from their own fans, who must now know that the chances of an unlikely title have all but disappeared.

If Chelsea beat Bolton tomorrow and Everton on Monday, a second successive title will be heading to Stamford Bridge.