Sunderland hold on to beat Burnley 2-1

Posted Sunday, April 18, 2010 by YAHOO Sport

LONDON (SE) - Burnley boss Brian Laws claimed his side’s lacklustre first-half display allowed them to crumble to a 2-1 defeat at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland went nine games unbeaten at home.

Frazier Campbell and Darren Bent blasted the Black Cats into a two-goal lead before the break and despite Steven Thompson hitting one back for Burnley they struggled to find a second.Burnley are now four points from safety with just three games left and survival looks a tall order with an immediate return to the Championship on the cards for the Lancashire club.

Laws said: “We certainly did not get going and certainly I think Bent and Kenwyne Jones were a handful and any teams in the Premier League would want them in their side.

“However we did not deal with them and we defended too deep and the goals came from that but the second goal killed us off because it was offside.

“We are running out of games and if we get the decisions right it gives us a fighting chances.

“We came out fighting after the break and it gave the Sunderland defence a bit of unrest but it was too late.

“We passed it better in the second half, did not give the ball away cheaply and threatened a bit more. We won the second half and that is all we can ask for and take it into the next game.”

Burnley’s brittle defence did not start well and despite last weekend’s heroics at Hull there was no comeback for Laws’ men in a disastrous opening 45 minutes.

Sunderland could have been three or four goals to the good but instead settled for two with John Mensah’s powerful effort kept out by Brian Jensen and Jones’ shot hitting the upright.

Burnley kept guard until the 25th minute as Bent fed Alan Hutton down the right flank and the Scottish full-back cross was met with conviction by Campbell.

Former Tottenham striker Bent continued the scoring when he grabbed his 24th goal of a profitable season. Campbell was unselfish in heading across goal for his strike-partner and Bent was free to volley home from close range.

It needed a mammoth effort from the Clarets after the break to get them back in the game and captain Graham Alexander tested Craig Gordon for the first time with a telling drive but it was not until the 82nd minute that the home defence was breached.

Substitute Robbie Blake, who had given Burnley some purpose going forward, fed Scottish striker Thompson and his 20-yard effort flew past Gordon.

Burnley continued to press and Gordon had to be alert off his line on more than one occasion but the away side struggled to create enough chances to force an equaliser and may now be consigned to the Championship.

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce said: “We are a match for anybody at home, our away form is the problem. In the first half we were close to blowing Burnley away.

“It was one of those typical end of season games where we have come off the gas too much but it would not be Sunderland if we did not make it edgy.

“Frazier has had to wait and be patient but over the last couple of months where we have really needed it he has delivered.”