Premier League - Everton dismiss poor Sunderland

Eurosport - Sun, 03 May 18:21:00 2009

Everton moved into fifth place in the Premier League with a 2-0 win away against a desperately disappointing Sunderland side.

2008-2009 Premier League Sunderland-Everton Steven Pienaar - 0

Steven Pienaar (pictured) and Marouane Fellaini scored second-half goals as David Moyes's side eased past the Black Cats, who remain in real relegation trouble.

Sunderland have won only one of their last 10 matches and looked bereft of confidence.

They were not helped by the crowd at the Stadium of Light which, while 41,000-strong, was never slow to voice its frustration.

It showed the Teesside public's lack of faith in their team's attacking efforts that the second goal on 71 minutes prompted a mass exodus of fans.

Such pessimism was well-founded; Sunderland have averaged less than a goal a game in the Premier League and last scored twice against Stoke at the Stadium of Light on February 7.

Striker Djibril Cisse looked totally uninterested and was replaced by the equally ineffective David Healy just after the hour, while Kenwyne Jones provided more perspiration than inspiration.

The first half was an atrocious spectacle in which any semblance of goalmouth action was replaced by a series of cynical fouls and minor injuries.

First Tim Cahill and Steed Malbranque clashed heads, leading the latter's pate to be treated with a white paste which, from a distance, looked like a giant bald spot.

Next it was Anton Ferdinand's turn to hit the deck after tangling with Jo, then Tim Howard, Jo himself and Danny Collins added their names to a lengthy list of walking wounded, although none had to come off.

As far attacking play, Everton supplied most of that. Cahill struck a long shot straight at Marton Fulop, while the Sunderland keeper did well to punch a Cahill header clear.

Calum Davenport and Grand Leadbitter picked up near-identical bookings for pulling back opponents by their shirts and the latter was lucky not to see a second yellow card for a tackle on Fellaini.

Pienaar was the best player on the pitch by a distance and it was apt that he scored the opener three minutes into the second period.

The South African made a clever run to latch on to Jo's through-ball and took a touch before placing the ball through the legs of Fulop.

The goal prompted Sunderland into their best spell of the game, although the closest they came was with a Collins header straight at Howard.

Fellaini finished the hosts off on 71 minutes, when Sunderland failed to cut out a low Pienaar cross from the right and the Belgian midfielder tucked his shot into the bottom-left corner.

As the crowd headed for the car park, Sunderland offered no hope of a dramatic comeback save for a moment when Joseph Yobo tangled with Jones as he ran towards goal.

It was dismal stuff and it leaves Ricky Sbragia's side on 35 points, four clear of the relegation zone.

On this form, Sunderland's only hope of survival is the equally desperate form of the teams below them.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

Comment 33 - 52 of 52

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  1. freebiejeebies co uk/62944
    try this it is amazin ive­ had loads of stuff i got it off bbc news.

    From LISA, on Mon 4 May 8:07PM

  2. Actually, I was at the match, sitting in the second row­ back. I DIDNT see a MASS exodus of fans, as stated in­ so many papers. i DID see some fans leave at 71­ minutes,but more left in the last 10 minutes or so of­ the game than left after that second goal.
    You cant­ comment on the so-called mass exodus without commenting­ on the better behaved fans, fomr SUNDERLAND, the­ everton fans regulairly needed holding back by the­ police, and several were dragged out of the stadium by­ police. I didnt ONCE see sunderland fans needing to be­ held back, brawling, or being dragged off.

    From , on Mon 4 May 7:32PM

  3. hahaha how on earth do these people get these jobs on­ this site?

    From Michael, on Mon 4 May 11:16AM

  4. Pienaar was superb BTW....good old Celtic Bhoy making­ your team tick

    From Stuart, on Mon 4 May 10:33AM

  5. Here we go, another week of players saying "we­ didn't play well enough, we need to pull together­ and play better, win the next one for the gaffer and­ the fans" and then play **** again and drop­ another 3 points away to Bolton!

    I'm not negative!

    From Mike, on Mon 4 May 10:33AM

  6. 'Teesside public', did the river Wear dry up or­ something?

    From polizei38, on Mon 4 May 9:28AM

  7. Mackenjol, Van gaal is on his way to Bayern Munich, so­ you have to look for somebody else! How`s about Jurgen­ Klinsman? Played for Tottenham did Klinsi, Manager of­ German National Side and also Bayern Munich until­ recently!

    From Easyrider2609, on Mon 4 May 9:03AM

  8. Ben S arent you a NUFC fan or is it now that Newcastle­ are going down you are switching your loyalties to an­ equally bad team but not a totally obnoxious set of­ fans. at leat they are showing their passion for their­ club by voting with their feet and not dillusioned.

    From ComSense, on Mon 4 May 8:50AM

  9. "It showed the Teesside public's lack of faith­ in their team's attacking efforts that the second­ goal on 71 minutes prompted a mass exodus" Maybe­ it did, but i am sure people from Sunderland are called­ "wearsiders" as it is called Wearside due to­ the rivr Wear, the river Tees is Middlesborough. For­ the person who wrote this article River Tyne -­ Newcastle, Rver Wear - Sunderland, River Tees­ Newcastle.

    From Bri W, on Mon 4 May 8:43AM

  10. Local players for local clubs its called pride and­ passion, not Wage Wanderers. Even if geordies have to­ go out and buy locally born talent.

    From ben, on Mon 4 May 8:29AM

  11. Recently I found a hot club -- W ealthy find e r c o m­ -- just­ for sexy tall gals and guys to find their­ romance. Come­ on, tall singles. Don't miss your­ love.

    From sexyfishx, on Mon 4 May 8:28AM

  12. ''Striker Djibril Cisse looked totally­ uninterested and was replaced by the equally­ ineffective David Healy''. ha ha ha. That­ cannot be good :-)

    From Half A Brain, on Mon 4 May 4:59AM

  13. Sunderland, Newcastle and Middlesburgh have one thing­ in common....they are a pile of pants.

    From sappercommando25, on Mon 4 May 1:15AM

  14. A HOV BOKED MESELL AN APINTMONT WATH A PHYCHO­­ CHAYATRAST A FINK A NEED HALP.

    From donneysbeck, on Mon 4 May 1:00AM

  15. If Sunderland stays up we need to bring in Louis van­ Gaal at any cost Sbragia is clueless he is out of­ depth,he is a number 2 not a manager look want happened­ to sammy lee

    From mackem jon, on Mon 4 May 12:55AM

  16. I think sunderland should dock the players wages until­ they actually learn to paly as a team maybe then they­ might actually try and win a game

    From Jon, on Sun 3 May 11:57PM

  17. why dont u full of @#$% people get a life never been on­ this site before . will not not again. u bunch of­ tossers s m b

    From markmann31, on Sun 3 May 10:44PM

  18. To aengusdeburca, most of the Sunderland fans­ hadn't lost faith in Keano, infact during the first­ game without him Fans were still chanting his name so­ don't bring this on the fans. The Problem is in­ Sbragia we hired a coach not a manager, he is proven as­ a great coach but as a manager he has proven inept both­ tactically and in dealing with, and motivating,­ players, I mean today for example he still picked a­ misfiring frontline and seemed to employ a 8-0-2­ formation lashing aimless balls upfield and hoping for­ the best.

    From andrewwatson49, on Sun 3 May 10:36PM

  19. Well done Bluenoses. Hard luck you Weirsiders. You may­ as well go down and get yourselves sorted out. Wind up­ the Geordies and get Keegan, he loves a challenge!
    Hope­ you come straight back up.

    From Veteran, on Sun 3 May 10:04PM

  20. ya all you sunderland fans should have kept faith in­ Keano. Hope for your sake he's not gonna make you­ pay for it next season. Would rather see Sunderland­ stay up than than Newcastle or Boro.

    From aengusdeburca, on Sun 3 May 9:20PM
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