Cats fail to hit the top spot

Defeats for Ipswich and Wigan meant that three points would have been enough to take the Black Cats into joint first place in the Championship as 2005 approaches.

However, after Reading's success at home to Watford earlier yesterday, Sunderland's defeat now means they have dropped to fourth in the table and the promotion race is heating up.

The Stadium of Light's largest crowd - 43,253 - since the final game of the 2002-03 relegation season turned out in the hope of witnessing the Black Cats deliver the belated Christmas gift.

But it was Leeds, who started the day just seven points above a relegation place, who were celebrating last night courtesy of a first half goal from Aaron Lennon and one apiece for Brian Deane and Julian Joachim after the interval.

Sunderland had looked like going on to win the game when Liam Lawrence cancelled out Lennon's opener but Leeds rallied, recovered and returned to Yorkshire with a much-needed victory.

Not even Julio Arca's curling late, late free-kick could salvage something for Sunderland, who lost for the second time in eight matches.

There were only a few thousand empty seats and the attendance finally went somewhere near to reminding the club of Sunderland's days of Premiership past.

When James Milner and Robbie Fowler hit two goals for Leeds on Boxing Day two years ago - the Whites' last visit to Wearside - 44, 029 were inside the ground during Howard Wilkinson's time in charge of the Black Cats.

The fact that such crowds have been absent in Sunderland's one and a half seasons in the Football League is a sign of the times outside the top-flight.

After sweeping changes at both clubs, Leeds are struggling to adapt to their fall from grace and Gary Kelly was the only one to start for the visitors yesterday who was left from the 2002 starting line-up.

Similarly, though, Sunderland's climb into the upper echelons of English football's second tier has only arrived through plenty of hard work and drastic changes - with only George McCartney and Stephen Wright remaining for the home side.

A fully committed opening was prevented from becoming entertaining by a lack of chances for both sides.

However, those suddenly arrived in abundance.

Leeds went close first when Lennon, a replacement for John Oster who was ineligible to play under the rules of his loan switch from Sunderland, dispossessed Julio Arca. But Lennon's centre was turned straight into Thomas Myhre's hands by the head of David Healy.

Kevin Blackwell's three-pronged attack allowed the game to open up but Sunderland had to keep a close eye on each of the forwards.

That was something they found difficult to do.

The threat was made even clearer when Deane, the former Middlesbrough striker, found Healy unmarked on the left.

The Northern Ireland man cut inside his man before firing low into Myhre's arms.

To Sunderland's credit the chances had also started to fall at the other end, yet goalkeeper Neil Sullivan had not been forced into a save when Leeds took the lead.

Midfielder Lawrence curled a free-kick a yard wide from 20-yards, after Kelly had been booked for a cynical foul on Arca, and Gary Breen headed just past the post from one of the blonde winger's corners.

But Leeds broke the deadlock just after the half-hour mark. The strong running into the box of Healy allowed Lennon to take charge and the young forward coolly side-footed beyond Myhre's outstretched right hand.

That seemed to give the visitors the confidence to build on their breakthrough, but another goal was not forthcoming before half-time.

Leeds' failure in front of goal allowed Sunderland to hit back with the equaliser just two minutes before the break from the penalty spot.

Referee Richard Beeby - the villain of the piece in May when he allowed a controversial Crystal Palace goal to stand in a play-off first leg with Sunderland - had no hesitation in awarding a spot-kick when Dean Whitehead was pushed to the floor by Matthew Spring.

Lawrence stepped up and converted with power and accuracy into Sullivan's bottom right corner.

The leveller marked the start of a power shift after the interval. Sunderland started to defend competently, while they also pushed forward in search of the goal that could take them into the top two.

Striker Chris Brown, largely ineffective in the opening 45 minutes, became more purposeful and his 25-yard drive had to be expertly tipped behind by Sullivan. From the corner Brown headed over from close range.

Those two opportunities kept him on the pitch but led to the withdrawal of Michael Bridges on the hour against the club who paid Sunderland £5m for his services in 1999.

He hit 21 goals in his first full season at Elland Road but never looked like scoring against his old employers yesterday.

But two minutes later the change, designed to push Sunderland to victory, had the opposite effect.

Healy's pinpoint centre from the left was headed powerfully goalwards by Deane and Myhre could only tip the ball against the underside of the bar and into his own net.

Full-back Frazer Richardson very nearly made the most of some slack play from Lawrence on the halfway line, but the Leeds man's shot was easily dealt with by Myhre.

Arca crashed a shot against the post and Elliott placed an effort from eight yards into Sullivan's arms.

But Leeds wrapped up the points with an instinctive finish when Joachim met Jermaine Wright's cross from the left.

And not even the stunning injury time free-kick from Arca, which curled into the top right corner, acted as any sort of consolation for Sunderland, who left it too late for a final surge to salvage something.

Result: Sunderland 2 Leeds United 3.

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