By Gordon Sharrock: Bolton Wanderers 0, Sunderland 3 PETER Reid's kind words were cold comfort as Colin Todd surveyed the damage of the storms that have blown Wanderers right off their promotion course.

The Sunderland manager and his players admitted the scoreline flattered them and bore little relation to the balance of play in the clash of the Division One 'heavyweights'.

"In many ways we were second best and it takes a good side to do that to us," Reid said, still prepared to consider Wanderers as serious rivals in the race for the Premiership. "I think Bolton could count themselves unlucky."

But the beleaguered Reebok boss, who saw his team denied a goal for the first time in 19 games this season, wasn't looking for consolation or sympathy.

"Whatever Peter Reid or Bobby Saxton (Sunderland's assistant manager) might say about us battering them, 3-0 is very disappointing," Todd conceded.

"I'd rather have played indifferently and won. It's no comfort to hear stuff like that when you've lost. Football's about winning."

And Wanderers have got out of the winning habit. After sweeping all before them in September when they looked a viable title-winning outfit, they've slid down the table dramatically, taken just two points from a possible 15 and, having gone 12 league games without defeat, they have now lost three on the bounce!

The Division One table made for very uncomfortable reading for Todd and his squad today as they looked up from 12th place to a Sunderland side, 10 points better off, still unbeaten in 20 league and cup games and, with dynamic skipper Kevin Ball their inspiration, looking every inch the best-equipped club outside the Premiership.

That description seemed to sit comfortably with Wanderers just a few short weeks ago. But not any more.

The last five games, starting with the squandering of two points at Barnsley and continuing with disappointing results against Oxford, Watford, Bristol City and now Sunderland, have shown them up for what they are - a good footballing side with major flaws.

Todd hopes to use a good slice of the Nathan Blake transfer stash to strengthen his hand but, on the evidence of recent results, it's difficult to see where to start for the best!

Going off yesterday's events at the Reebok, he must do something to shore up one of the most suspect defences in the division and, although it would be premature to suggest drawing a blank for the first time - just 48 hours after Blake's departure - was anything more than a coincidence, you have to say there wasn't much menace about the attack.

As a unit, Wanderers always try to play football and Sunderland were the latest to record their admiration on that score. Indeed, the statisticians who offer so much meaningless breakdowns of games covered by Sky TV would have had the bout stopped if it were a boxing match.

But football's not like that, as Michael Bridges graphically illustrated when he beat Keith Branagan's valiant dive to wrap up a comprehensive Sunderland win seven minutes from time after the majority of the second half action had been at the other end.

For all their territorial advantage and overwhelming dominance in the possession stakes, Wanderers were well beaten where it mattered most - in the first and final thirds of the park.

In the wide open space in between, they passed the ball freely, confidently and constructively; better than any side in the division. Wanderers dominated the opening exchanges with their fluent, carefully-constructed attacking style until Danny Dichio turned a long, angled pass from Chris Makin into Allan Johnston's path. The finish was accurate and decisive.

Seven minutes later Sunderland were sitting even prettier.

Wanderers had strung together a series of passes as they tried to find a way through the Wearsiders' mean defence when Andy Melville stepped in.

A pass that travelled fully 60 yards put Niall Quinn and Mark Fish in a neck and neck race the Bolton defender appeared to be winning until a juggle of hands stopped the pair in their tracks - the ball eventually falling kindly for the big Irishman to stroke a shot past Branagan in off the post.

Claim and counter-claim followed with Quinn suggesting: "I stopped because Fish had handled the ball. I appealed and was looking up thinking the ref was going to give a penalty, when suddenly the ball landed at my feet!"

Fish, who didn't have one of his better games for Wanderers but appeared to get the rough end of the stick on this occasion was equally adamant. "I stopped," he confirmed, "thinking it was handball against Quinn!"

On another day, the decision might have gone Wanderers' way. Just as they might have been given the benefit of the doubt in the 10th minute when Arnar Gunnlaugsson put Bob Taylor in with a clear run on goal.

Former Bury defender Butler had no chance of recovering his ground as he chased back but the toe of his boot caught Taylor's heel and, having had sight of the whites of Thomas Sorensen's eyes, Blake's replacement was sent sprawling!

It looked a blatant case of denying a goalscoring opportunity, which should have resulted in Butler taking a very early bath. But referee Barry Knight, deciding it was an intentional foul, merely produced the yellow card and tried to explain his 'cop-out' by signalling that there were covering defenders.

"I thought he was going to go!" Reid admitted. "I don't think he meant to bring him down but, if the ref showed the yellow card, he thought it was a foul and in that case he should have sent him off!"

Todd was in no mood to look for excuses or arguments.

"A lot of people would say he should have gone," he acknowledged, "and it was disappointing.

"It was certainly a blatant foul from where I was standing and Bob was in a great scoring position. There was also a hint of handball for their second goal but I don't quarrel with referees. When things are stacked against you, decisions like that just don't go your way.

"Last time in the Nationwide League we had the habit of winning and last season in the Premiership we might have been unlucky but we showed a lot of character. That's what I'm looking for now. Character, determination and grit."

In other words, a leaf out of Sunderland's book!

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.