TORE Andre Flo insists Sunderland will drag themselves out of the relegation morass into which they are once again sinking fast.

Title-chasing Chelsea ensured old boy Flo endured a disappointing return to Stamford Bridge on Saturday as Howard Wilkinson's side were ultimately comfortably dispatched.

The 3-0 defeat was Sunderland's first in five away games in all competitions since Wilkinson succeeded Peter Reid as manager in October, and it pushed the Black Cats back into the Premiership's bottom three.

Shot-shy Sunderland are averaging a paltry one League goal every other game - eight in 16 - and are the only side in all four divisions yet to reach double figures.

And Norwegian striker Flo, signed by Reid from Rangers in a club record £8.2m deal just before August's transfer deadline, is the only Sunderland player to score more than one top-flight goal this season.

Flo, who left Chelsea for Glasgow in a £14m deal two years ago, failed to add to his tally of three League goals as he faced his former club and Sunderland suffered a second successive defeat in firing blanks for their third game in a row.

But, while the rest of Wearside may take some convincing, Flo maintains his side's performance was proof enough that they are destined to escape the drop.

"The League table doesn't look good, but there are still some positive things for us to take out of this game,'' said Flo.

"We're going to fight very hard to stay up. I think we have enough quality to get out of this mess and we're very determined to make a success of things. We are going to do it.''

Sunderland held their own before the break, and Flo added: "I thought we could have got a point.

"We did well for an hour, but it wasn't quite enough. We ended the first half on top and we wanted to continue playing like that in the second half.

"We did that but they scored and it became a different match. When they have space to play, Chelsea are a very good team.

"The goal opened up the match and unfortunately for us, they got even better after they scored. We tried to come back and that showed we have strength.

"It was a lot better than we have shown in other games when we've struggled to come back after falling behind.

"There weren't a lot of chances created, but at least there were more than in some games a few weeks ago, so we're going the right way.

"If we continue to play on the ground like we did here, it's looking better for us.''

The irony won't be lost on Sunderland fans that it was discarded striker Danny Dichio who nudged their side into the relegation zone on Saturday with his winner for fellow strugglers West Brom against Middlesbrough.

But, like Flo, Wilkinson accentuated the positives of the Wearsiders' display. "We looked a bit edgy early on, but by half-time they were like different players to the ones who played at Liverpool the other week,'' he said.

"We looked like a team who might cause other teams problems. This performance gives us a lot more promise.''

Wilkinson, who labelled stand-in goalkeeper Jurgen Macho's form as "excellent'', revealed that Thomas Myhre is expected to be fit in two weeks' time following a thigh injury.

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