Joy at last for Sunderland

FA Premiership/ Sunderland 2 Fulham 1: Sunderland saved the best for last as they won a Premiership game on their own ground for the first time this season - at the final attempt.

After 28 top-flight matches dating back to December 15th, 2002, goals from Anthony le Tallec and Chris Brown - his first in the Premiership - either side of half-time saw the Black Cats fend off another unwanted record.

No English side had ever gone a full season without winning a league game on their pitch, and while the Wearsiders cannot avoid setting a new low-points total with a final day trip to Aston Villa to come, the win gave the home fans something to cheer.

Sunderland had to endure a tense final 14 minutes after Tomasz Radzinski pulled a goal back for the visitors, but for the first time since Liverpool left Wearside empty-handed three and a half years ago, three Premiership points were banked by the home side.

Winger Andy Welsh was in the Sunderland side after returning from a loan spell at Leicester, and it was his cross which was glanced past goalkeeper Mark Crossley at the near post by on-loan striker le Tallec.

For a change, the boos at the break were reserved for referee Mike Riley, the man who called off the first game, after he booked both Steve Caldwell and George McCartney for fouls but turned a deaf ear to the home crowd's appeals for a series of fouls perpetrated by the visitors.

But their mood was to change within 12 minutes of the restart when the Black Cats increased their lead.

Nyron Nosworthy let fly from 25 yards with a shot which Crossley could not hold, and Brown followed up to slam the loose ball into the empty net.

But for Pearce's header off the line, Tommy Miller would have made it 3-0 on 68 minutes with the home side for once brimming with confidence.

SUNDERLAND: Davis, Nosworthy, Breen, Caldwell, McCartney, Hoyte (Kyle 74), Whitehead, Miller, Welsh, Brown, Le Tallec (Daryl Murphy 81). Subs not used: Alnwick, Danny Collins, Leadbitter. Booked: Caldwell, McCartney, Brown, Whitehead. Goals: Le Tallec 32, Brown 57.

FULHAM: Crossley, Rosenior, Christanval, Pearce (Brown 69), Bridge, Malbranque, Diop, Elliott, Boa Morte (Radzinski 18), Helguson, McBride (John 60). Subs not used: Warner, Volz. Booked: Elliott, Christanval, Pearce, Bridge. Goal: Radzinski 76.

Referee: M Riley (W Yorkshire).