WHEN Sunderland's secret weapon Darren Byfield pounced, revenge will have been the last thing on the Black Cats' minds.

Having suffered the trauma of losing in an FA Cup semi-final just two days earlier at the Theatre of Dreams, Mick McCarthy had to pick up his deflated players for a must-win Division One match at the less glamorous surroundings of the National Hockey Stadium last night.

And, seven years after the Crazy Gang condemned Sunderland to relegation from the Premiership, the Black Cats finally laid to rest that particular ghost by inflicting defeat on Division Two-bound Wimbledon, who became the first club in English football to be relegated this season.

For Sunderland there is no such fear. This narrow victory, secured by the head of Marcus Stewart and the quick feet of Byfield, has strengthened the Wearside club's hopes of a return to the top-flight as the vital Easter period approaches.

A play-off place for Sunderland, provided they can avoid defeats against Sheffield United and Ipswich in their next two matches, is looking ever more likely.

But the three points picked up last night - the first time Sunderland have ever beaten Wimbledon away from home - has also kept alive any aspirations McCarthy has of catching the top two.

After Stewart had given Sunderland a half-time lead with his 14th of the season, a resurgent Wimbledon never gave up and grabbed a deserved equaliser in the 67th minute when Malvin Kamara beat Mart Poom.

McCarthy's reaction was almost instant and he introduced super-sub Byfield for goalscorer Stewart.

And Byfield, just seconds after coming on, was on hand in the danger area to turn in George McCartney's cross for his fifth goal since moving from Rotherham; three of which have been as a substitute.

It was the striker's winner which has ensured that Sunderland have now closed the gap on leaders West Brom and Norwich to eight points with a game in hand.

Colin Cooper's recall to Middlesbrough meant he missed out and it could not have come at a worse time for the experienced centre-back.

The 37-year-old has had to bide his time since making the temporary move up the A19 - making only three substitute appearances inside a month - but he was lined up for his first start in Buckinghamshire.

Cooper was expected to line up at the heart of the defence, but Joachim Bjorklund was given an opportunity alongside Gary Breen.

Phil Babb's omission was one of five changes. Jason McAteer, sent off against Millwall, Tommy Smith, John Oster and Stephen Wright were all missing.

And that - along with returns for Stewart and Darren Williams - meant a Black Cats debut for on-loan Carl Robinson and Matthew Piper, after a number of cameo roles, made his first start since a serious knee injury.

If Sunderland wanted an easy fixture to try to quickly forget about losing out on appearing in the Cardiff showpiece on May 22 then this should have been it.

The Dons, who have struggled to adapt to their new home this season since uprooting from South London, had only won one of 20 games in Milton Keynes and had not won in 12 in front of their own, albeit adopted, fans.

However, Wimbledon certainly did not suffer from an inferiority complex and their promising crop of youngsters started brightly; with Jason Puncheon's stepover trick acting as the early entertainment.

It was Puncheon who had Wimbledon's most dangerous effort on goal in the opening half. His rasping 30-yard drive had Poom beaten but the ball flew marginally over the bar.

If that particular Wimbledon starlet was enjoying life, the same could not be said of his teammate Dean Lewington.

Piper, whose career has always been stop-start since his £3.5m switch from Leicester in the Peter Reid days, was clearly revelling in the chance to prove his fitness.

His teasing runs caused full-back Lewington all sorts of problems just as his crossing tormented the Wimbledon defence. Yet Kevin Kyle and Stewart contrived to put a couple of headers off target.

Wimbledon centre-back Harry Ntimban-Zeh, that's H to his friends, then came to his side's rescue when he cleared two consecutive efforts off the line; first from Kyle and then from Robinson.

But that only served to delay the inevitable - a Sunderland goal - and it arrived on the stroke of half-time.

Another centre from Piper, this time a corner, was half-cleared as far as Arca on the edge of the area. The Argentine's shot bounced up off the slippery surface, onto the head of Stewart before nestling into Scott Bevan's bottom right corner.

McCarthy brought Byfield on and, with his first touch, he fired the winner beyond Bevan.