MICK McCARTHY last night admitted having the largest crowd at the Stadium of Light since April 2003 made losing to Leeds United even harder to swallow.

A frustrated McCarthy called for his players to use only their third defeat in 14 games as a 'wake-up call' in their quest for promotion.

The defeat allowed Reading to leapfrog the Black Cats into third place in the Championship ahead of the final game of 2004 at Nottingham Forest tomorrow.

The crowd topped 43, 000 for the first time in a league game since the derby with Newcastle in Sunderland's last campaign in the Premiership.

They were certainly entertained, but ideally McCarthy dreamed of his side putting on a good show with a victory for those stay-away fans who decided to make a Christmas return.

"I am always disappointed when we are beaten and looking at the attendance just compounds that disappointment. But it's how we react," he said.

"We can't do anything about this defeat. We didn't let anyone down. We got mugged a little bit because their second goal cost us the game.

"But it's how we do in the next two games against Forest and Preston. There's nothing much I can do about it."

Had Sunderland, whose goals came from Liam Lawrence and Julio Arca, won they would have climbed above Reading and Wigan into joint top-spot with Ipswich.

But both Wigan and Ipswich also lost to liven up a four-way battle for the top two places.

McCarthy said: "I said tongue-in-cheek before the game, we are all as bad as each other and the results have highlighted that.

"Only Reading have won and it has all bunched up. There's none of us much better than anyone else.

"Pundits were all waxing lyrical about Wigan and Ipswich last week when they played each other but they have been spanked.

"Some were waxing lyrical about us as well and we have been spanked. Maybe it's a wake-up call for all of us."

Losing to Leeds was Sunderland's second defeat on home soil in three games after succumbing to West Ham on December 4.

But McCarthy claims he is not too disappointed with the performance.

"I'm pleased with a lot of it. We have got the ability to go to places all season long and win so we can come back at Forest," said McCarthy.

"I get upset and frustrated but that's how we all react. We could have won but they got back in front when Brian Deane does what Brian Deane does. That made it extremely difficult for us and it showed."

The Elland Road side withstood a late barrage from the home side to cling on to the three points, which lifted them nine points clear of the relegation zone.

But Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell voiced concern that his young squad would suffer ''burn-out'' over the busy festive period and through the rest of the season.

He said: ''It is always enjoyable to win. Sunderland is always a cracking place to come to and both clubs have got to aspire to get back into the Premiership.

''We showed steel and determination when we had to and I am very pleased with the players.

''The crowd here frightens many teams and we are going through a massive transformation. Our squad was tested to the limit today. We had seven players under the age of 20 and four of them are still under 18.

''We have to make sure we do not burn them out.''

* Ian Holloway claimed his team lacked desire after Queens Park Rangers suffered their fourth consecutive Coca-Cola Championship defeat in the 2-1 loss at Plymouth.

Goals from Paul Wotton and Micky Evans put the Pilgrims in control before Paul Furlong pulled a goal back for the visitors.

Both sides had a man sent off - Plymouth's Graham Coughlan after a poor challenge on Furlong and Rangers' Georges Santos for two bookings.

''We did not seem up for the challenge,'' Holloway complained. ''We did not really start to compete until we were two goals down and I am not happy about that.

''I said last week sometimes you get the rub of the green but you have to earn it. We should have been up for the challenge because we know what they are about."

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