FIVE years ago this week Sunderland fans had the bragging rights they'd waited nine years for.

Not since Gates and Gabbiadini had ended Newcastle's promotions play-off dreams at St James Park in 1990 in the old division two had they put one over their Tyneside rivals.

In August 1999 they put paid to Ruud Gullit's ill-fated spell in charge at St James' Park with a 2-1 win at Newcastle and finished that season in seventh spot in the Premiership.

Mick McCarthy's 2004 version is a different animal to Peter Reid's side. Unfortunately the Stadium of light faithful appear to be struggling to come to terms with the effects £36m debt has on team affairs.

In the second-half with the Wearsiders one nil down and Sunderland unable to create any goalscoring chances, their restlestness grew.

"We want Murray out" was the cry. It didn't ring across the whole of the Stadium of Light but it was clearly audible.

McCarthy felt their anxiety and appreciated their restlessness. He knew his side didn't play well.

"I think the crowd are entitled to be anxious when they sit and watch us play like that," he said. "I've no problem with that.

"What I would say is that they've supported us well today. When we were one nil down they tried to get us going. "

But McCarthy was also quick to hand a reality check to anyone who thought the Black Cats might run away with the Coca-Cola Championship after finishing third last term.

"We're not the Sunderland teams of the Premiership that were finishing seventh," said McCarthy. "We're not a whole group of top players. We're not real Real Madrid in this league.

"What they are is young players having a go, being honest and doing their level best.

"So I appreciated the way the crowd supported us and I feel their anxiety. The players feel it. We want to do better - we don't enjoy being like that.

"We have to stick together and I'm sure the supporters will stick with us and see us through."

Paul Jewell's Wigan side were the championship's form team. Any thoughts that Sunderland should have too much at home for the Latics were dispelled before a quarter of the game was played.

Nathan Ellington and Jason Roberts put paid to that. Wigan's two strikers just had too much about them for the Black Cats defence to deal with.

Ellington had already seen two long-range efforts go wide, before he set up his partner in the box.

Steven Caldwell had just returned to the pitch after taking a bang on the knee and Carl Robinson was covering at the back.

Unfortunately when Ellington fed striker partner Roberts, the former West Brom man shrugged off Robinson with ease and although Mart Poom got a hand to his effort he couldn't keep it out.

McCarthy said: "When they scored the goal it knocked us a little bit.

"I get a bit cheesed-off because when it happened we've got our centre-half off the pitch.

"It just does me head in that rule when you get someone injured and they've got to go off. I said it to the fourth official, and he agreed with me to be honest.

"But we didn't defend it very well and I still thought we should have cleared it and the lads admitted to that.

"We get nervy and edgy and they are a difficult side to break down."

Difficult they maybe but Sunderland made their defence look almost unbreachable.

Their best first-half efforts were two shouts for penalties when Kevin Kyle and Gary Breen went down in the area - both refused - and Robinson firing wide when set up by Kyle.

After the break they weren't much better, and when Julio Arca was replaced by Sean Thornton the Wearsiders lost all semblance of shape. Right back Mark Lynch went to left back with Whithead covering, before it was correctly decided that George McCartney would be best utilised on the left of defence, with Lynch at centre-back.

Despite the introduction of Stephen Elliott on the left of midfield, it was only when he was thrown in as part of a front three that rewards were gained.

Kyle had already hit Sunderland's best two efforts of the game - firstly volleying over from Whitehead's long ball in the 74th minute then heading just wide again from Whitehead's cross - before his aerial presence helped create the goal.

Whitehead was again the creator and, as Kyle challenged Matt Jackson, the defender headed out to Elliott.

The former Manchester City man wasted no time in firing a left-foot shot into the bottom corner.

"I kept trying to shuffle the pack and rejig and eventually it worked," was McCarthy's verdict. "I got Stephen Elliott down the middle and he scored the equaliser for us."

Elliott's willingness to run at defenders and his eagerness for possession brought him the rewards his efforts deserved.

Thornton's efforts didn't bring him the red card he appeared to deserve after an ugly clash with Lee McCullogh - both players were booked. Sunderland have no time to lick their wounds with a trip to Reading tomorrow, and the injury-list grows longer with both Steven Caldwell and Julio Arca doubts.

"We do have a number of lads that weren't fully fit - injury free but not done enough training perhaps," said McCarthy.

"Julio Arca's had his problems this week, George McCartney has only just come back. The intention was that the two of them might have half a game.

"Stevie Caldwell gets clattered, Jeff Whitley's been out a while and Kyle's still not training. He plays and then he has to rest.

"It doesn't help for continuity in the training.

"But they kept going and earned themselves, the club and me a very valuable point.

"We didn't get beaten."