MARCUS STEWART has waited almost four months for a goal but he struck an injury time winner to fire Sunderland into the top two and show Nottingham Forest how it should be done.

In an incredible topsy-turvy encounter at the City Ground, Forest missed four glorious opportunities and had a man sent off, while the Black Cats looked shaky at the back and could quite easily have lost.

But Sunderland left Nottingham with the three points that took them above Reading and Wigan into an automatic promotion spot for the first time this season.

It was such a bizarre game that it verged on the ridiculous.

Before Stephen Elliott had given the Black Cats the lead with his tenth of the season, Forest should have been out of sight.

Striker Neil Harris wasted two one-on-ones with Thomas Myhre and David Johnson side-footed wide from close-range with a howler Ronny Johnsen and Kanu would have been proud of.

But after Elliott's goal Forest hit back six minutes later when Andy Reid made the most of a defensive mix-up between Myhre and Gary Breen to equalise.

Forest should have gone in front but Gareth Taylor amazingly blazed high over the bar from seven yards.

Stewart, without a goal since September 11, pounced with time running out to expertly drive a left- foot shot beyond goalkeeper Paul Gerrard's outstretched left arm.

Improvements in front of goal had to be made by Sunderland after their second defeat in four games at home to Leeds United on Boxing Day.

The fall guys were strikers Michael Bridges and Chris Brown. That meant the lively Elliott and the more experienced Stewart grasped opportunities to stake claims for a first team place as the season prepares to head into the New Year.

But under the caretaker management of Mick Harford, Forest's confidence-drained squad have been given a fright by an ex-footballer who made a career from being uncompromising.

Born on Wearside, Harford admitted in his pre-match programme notes that seeing Sunderland do well is high in his thoughts each weekend.

However, the former Luton centre forward has never been one for too much sentiment and, with one eye on the job full-time, he needed the three points to help Forest climb out of the bottom three and also for his own personal gain.

His dogged spirit and determination were clearly seen in his players' attitude throughout. As well as some meaty challenges, the home side also had the best of the early chances.

Left-midfielder Alan Rogers shot into the arms of Myhre after being teed up by Harris, while defender Wes Morgan headed a corner straight at the Norwegian from close range.

Harris, a striker making his third appearance of the season against Sunderland after signing on the cheap from Millwall while on loan at Cardiff, showed why he has yet to find the net against the Black Cats just after quarter of an hour.

A searching long ball from full-back Gregor Robertson picked out the forward. But, having raced clear of the visiting defence, Harris' woeful right-foot shot bounced nearer the corner flag than the goal.

Crunching tackles were the order of the day - with Andy Reid, Liam Lawrence and Dean Whitehead entering the referee's notebook in the first half alone - and it was working to Forest's advantage rather than Sunderland's.

Julio Arca, singled out by Leeds' tough tactics at the weekend, again had to cope with the heavy- handed approach. But Arca was also a danger to Harford's defence and his right-foot volley dipped just over the bar.

Elliott had a low drive saved comfortably by keeper Paul Gerrard, after meeting Whitehead's through-ball, but it was Forest who should have been in front before the break.

Once again Harris wasted a golden opportunity to break the deadlock when faced with just the keeper to beat. This time Myhre's legs denied the out-of-sorts front-man.

But Harris' two blunders in front of goal had nothing on Johnson's. The former Ipswich Town hot-shot somehow side-footed wide from inside six yards after meeting Rogers' centre from the left.

That had stemmed again from a Forest breakaway. With Reid's accurate passing wreaking havoc for a Sunderland rearguard that was not being bossed with the usual Gary Breen reliability.

McCarthy, looking for improvements in that area from the weekend, was in danger of a second successive defeat if those problems were not ironed out during the interval.

Just four minutes after the restart, the manager seemed to have achieved just that when Sunderland brought a whole new perspective to the game by putting the ball in the back of the net.

The Forest defence had stood firm, with centre-backs Morgan and Michael Dawson keeping things tight.

However, the small figure of Elliott rose unchallenged to head a left wing cross from Forest reject Lawrence into Gerrard's bottom right corner.

But the Republic of Ireland international's first goal since November 21 was soon cancelled out when Sunderland's poor day at the back went from bad to worse.

Skipper Breen, so influential in the club's rise up to the promotion pack this season, uncharacteristically failed to deal with a loose ball on the edge of the area, with Myhre out to claim it.

The highly-rated feet of Reid quickly dipped a first time shot high over the Sunderland pair and into the unguarded net to give Forest the goal they looked unable to find.

Suddenly an error-prone game became exciting with both sides having opportunities to add to their tallies.

Midfielder Eugen Bopp's shot was turned away by Myhre and Arca curled a shot from 20 yards against the post.

But it was the Forest strikers' inability to beat Myhre that always left Sunderland capable of sneaking all three points.

With Harris substituted for his profligacy, his replacement Taylor took over the mantle.

The former Bristol City forward amazingly fired high over the bar from seven yards with the full goal to aim for.

Then with ten minutes remaining Sunderland's hopes improved when Robertson was instantly dismissed for bringing down substitute Brown on the edge of the area. A free-kick was awarded, and wasted, although there were claims it was inside the box.

With time running out, ten-man Forest attacked only for it to be broken up by Sunderland, who broke through Arca.

The South American fed Stewart, who struck his seventh goal of the season in injury time by powering his effort into Gerrard's bottom left corner.

Result: Nottingham Forest 1 Sunderland 2.

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