WHO did what and when

SUNDERLAND 0 Wanderers 2

Wanderers

4-3-3/4-5-1

JUSSI JAASKELAINEN ... 6

Made the necessary saves but spilled a few to set hearts fluttering

BRUNO N'GOTTY ... 8

Supremely solid, never looked in any serious trouble

GUDNI BERGSSON ... 9

Imperious and inspirational at the heart of the back four. Only eight games

to retirement!

FLORENT LAVILLE ... 8

The Rock of Lyon turned in his third successive impressive performance

RICARDO GARDNER ... 7

Took the switch to left back in his stride; many important interventions

PER FRANDSEN ... 7

Back in the midfield swing; stretched Sorensen with a stunning strike

IVAN CAMPO ... 8

No clowning; the big man worked dilligently and effectively from start to

finish

JAY-JAY OKOCHA ... 9

A magical display in a high-pressure situation; a delight to watch

BERNARD MENDY ... 8

The fans love him and the feeling is mutual; defenders are frightened by his

pace

HENRIK PEDERSEN ... 7

A brave display. Sam took a gamble on his fitness and it paid off handsomely

YOURI DJORKAEFF ... 7

Misses that half-yard of pace at times but always tries to get things going

SUBS: Salva Ballesta for Pedersen 80 mins, Kevin Nolan for Djorkaeff 88

mins. Not used: Pierre-Yves Andre, Anthony Barness, Kevin Poole.

SUNDERLAND

4-4-2

THOMAS SORENSEN ... 6

STEVEN WRIGHT ... 5

JOACHIM BJORKLUND ... 6

TALAL EL KARKOURI ... 8

GEORGE McCARTNEY ... 7

MICHAEL PROCTOR ... 7

DARREN WILLIAMS ... 6

SEAN THORNTON ... 7

MICHAEL GRAY ... 6

TORE ANDRE FLO ... 5

KEVIN PHILLIPS ... 6

Subs: Julio Arca (6) for Wright h-t, Marcus Stewart (5) for Flo 66 mins,

Kevin Kyle for Proctor 80 mins. Not used: Phil Babb, Mart Poom.

Referee: Jeff Winter (Stcokton-on-Tees).

Attendance: 42,124

Goals: Okocha 50 mins Pedersen 55 mins

Shots/headers on target: Sunderland 6, Wanderers 8.

Corners: Sunderland 7, Wanderers 4.

Offsides: Sunderland 5, Wanderers 3.

Fouls committed: Sunderland 16, Wanderers 11.

Bookings: Sunderland - McCartney 85 mins (foul on Campo); Wanderers -

Laville 8 mins (foul on Phillips).

Man of the Match

JAY-JAY OKOCHA

FREE spirits are all too often shackled by the pressure to achieve results

but not in Jay-Jay's case. He is prepared to work but, refreshingly, he

still ;considers football "a sport, a game" and believes he is on the field

to entertain. He lit up the Stadium of Light.

Moan of the Match

THEY came to hail Mick McCarthy as their saviour but the Sunderland crowd

ended up crucifying some of their their own players - notably skipper

Michael Gray who was booed at every touch after the first goal went in.

Magic Moment

HE got lucky when Sorensen turned his cross into the net but the way Jay-Jay

Okocha wrong-footed Gray to create the chance was spell-binding.

KICK BY KICK

8 mins: Okocha shows he is in the mood with some breathtaking footwork to play his way out of trouble and feed the ball down the line to Campo.

17 mins: The Stadium of Light is silenced as Mendy bursts through and Sorensen has to make a crucial save; Campo meets Djorkaeff's corner and Gray has to hack the ball to safety.

20 mins: El Karkouri resorts to a desperate foul to prevent Mendy turning

Okocha's inch-perfect pass into another shooting chance.

40 mins: The first sign of trouble for Wanderers as Jaaskelainen fails to

hold Flo's shot but he recovers to stop Phillips cashing in.

41 mins: Wanderers are relieved to see Thornton shoot wide after Gardner squanders possession in a dangerous area.

45 mins: Pedersen gets a sight of goal but hesitates and the chance is gone.

Half-time:Sunderland 0

Wanderers 0

46 mins: Arca looks certain to score with his first touch but Frandsen throws himself in the way to get a vital block.

GOAL!

50 mins: Gray is punished for presenting the ball to Okocha, who tricks his way to the bye-line and fires in a cross which Sorensen turns into his own net.

GOAL!

55 mins: Okocha switches play from left to right, Mendy shoots and, when Sorensen fumbles, Pedersen reacts quicker than Bjorklund to stroke in the rebound for his sixth of the season.

56 mins: Flo misses a chance to pull one back, scooping his shot high over the bar from a promising position.

77 mins: Jaaskelainen causes pulses to race as he spills a tame shot from McCartney and Laville has to step in to clear the danger.

78 mins: Pedersen falls heavily under El Karkouri's challenge and looks in trouble with his shoulder again.

81 mins: Okocha tricks Gray once more to get in a cross for Ballesta to test Sorensen with a header.

86 mins: Okocha tries to find a way through but it's Frandsen who finally pulls the trigger with a shot that is curling in at the top corner until his fellow Dane Sorensen gets across to make a sensational save.

Final score: Sunderland 0

Wanderers 2