OH BY THE WAY.....WE PLAYED AT SUNDERLAND YESTERDAY

SUNDERLAND 2 STOKE CITY FC 0

Another massive dollop dropped on us in this game.....a first half in which we were not really at the races,and were lucky to still be in touch,a second half which promised more but ended in disappointing defeat.

Unmarked £13m striker Gyan was in the right place to tap home on 9 minutes after Begovic saved but could not hold the ball.We were kept in the game by our keeper ,who saved Malbranque's penalty effort after Walters was adjudged to have fouled Gyan.

Stoke looked much more likely after the break.Eventually mounting Stoke pressure saw Jones head Etherington's corner goalwards.The ball was probably over the line as Catermole handled TWICE.Ref Atkinson and his assistant saw none of this.No goal...no penalty.....no sending off..no equaliser.From the resultant corner Kenwyne Jones was unlucky again as his header was cleared off the line.

Much frustration amongst the Stoke players, a rash of bookings,including two for captain Ryan Shawcross,inevitably sent off,and to add insult to injury the 10 ten men conceded another goal to the excellent Gyan,this time from a fine drive following a poor clearance by Huth.

So we're outside the bottom three on goal difference only.Two home matches to come from which we need some return...to break the losing sequence,and the abysmal run of bad luck.