Kenwyne Jones scores

By The Black Cats
February 9 2009

Sunderland moved up to 11th in the league after beating Stoke City by two goals to nil in a game full of incident. However the game wasn't as comfortable as the scoreline suggests. The first goal came in the 78th minute via the head of Kenwyne Jones, scoring past ex-Sunderland 'keeper Thomas Sorensen. The game was then sealed in the 94th minute by Northern Ireland International David Healy, scoring his second goal for theBlack cats in as many games.

Jones, who scored three goals in 13 games for Stoke during a loan spell with them four years ago, did well to head past ex-Sunderland goalkeeper Tommy Sorensen, from Andy Reid's pin-point cross, in the 78th minute.

It was a crucial deadlock-breaker for Ricky Sbragia after the home side were, in the main, contained and frustrated by their visitors in front of a healthy 38,350 crowd as both sides struggled to create many clear-cut chances.

Sunderland almost had the ball in the net six minutes before half-time when substitute Danny Pugh appeared to "save" Steed Malbranque's header with a blatant handball - both arms stretched out in front of him in a fashion Tommy Sorensen would have been proud of - the subsequent penalty appeals were ignored by Rob Styles.

The 39th-minute incident brightened up an otherwise dull but tense first half as goalscoring opportunities were few and far between.

Sorensen did have to make a save as early as the sixth minute when Jones hit a powerful effort from 20 yards - the City 'keeper could only parry the shot to Reid, who sliced the rebound well over.

Stoke had a half-chance in the tenth minute when Richard Creswell's attempted over-head kick was just wide after a goalmouth scramble in the Sunderland penalty area.

Tony Pulis was dealt three major problems in the space of eight first-half minutes, making all three changes due to injuries - Andy Wilkinson was replaced by Pugh in the 18th minute and Ryan Shawcross had to make way for Ibrahima Sonko, before Ricardo Fuller was forced off with a cringe-worthy shoulder injury in the 26th minute, being replaced by new signing Henri Camara.

It certainly didn't seem to help Stoke and even though Camara, signed on loan from Wigan on transfer window deadline day, had two decent chances before the break, Sunderland gained from City's treble blow.

Stoke continued to frustrate, though, and even after Matthew Etherington was sent off in the 64th minute, following a clash with Danny Collins who was subsequently shown a yellow card, Sunderland still failed to capitalise. Collins was booked for pulling Etherington back, Etherington, unhappy with the foul kicked out at Collins right in front of Rob Styles

Indeed, it was Stoke who should have taken the lead after 67 minutes when Sunderland struggled to clear inside the area and the loose ball fell to Camara, who crashed his shot against the crossbar.

It was a big let-off for the home side, and perhaps the kick up the backside they needed, as they clicked into gear.

Just moments later, George McCartney's left-wing cross found Cisse at the far past and the Frenchman hit a powerful shot across the face of goal but wide, and two minutes later Carlos Edwards almost scored with an identical effort, this time Reid the provider.

Sunderland then found the net after 78 minutes when schemer Reid chipped to the far post for Jones, who out jumped Abdoulaye Faye to head down to the near post, where Sorensen could only help the ball in.

It was a nail-biting final 10 minutes for Sunderland, made worse by four minutes added time, but with almost the last kick of the game Healy grabbed a relieving second goal to complete a valuable win.