GOALKEEPER Thomas Sorensen, in the nightmare situation of knowing that unless he keeps a clean sheet Sunderland are likely to lose, last night pleaded with his teammates to end a three-match goal drought by scoring first at Charlton on Saturday.

"It's all very nervy and edgy at the moment and if we don't get the first goal then maybe people will start thinking negative things," said the Danish international.

"I can't speak for anyone else in the team, but I'm still thinking positively - in my mind I think we'll definitely stay up.

"That's the way you should think. You can't go out thinking that you haven't got a chance because that's not going to help you in any way."

Sorensen admits, however, that it will be tough at Charlton, especially when Sunderland have lost all five of their Premiership games in London this season, conceding 14 goals in the process.

The 3-0 defeat at West Ham was the fourth time the Wearsiders had failed to score in the capital during the current campaign and saw them slip to 17th, their lowest position in the table this season.

Sorensen said: "We gave West Ham three easy finishes, but the boiggest problem is that we never looked like scoring and that's been typical of too many of our performances, particularly away from home.

"The way we've been playing it won't be easy at Charlton - we've only scored nine goals away from home this season and five of them came in two games at Blackburn and Bolton. That tells its own story."

Nine of Sunderland's ten Premiership victories this season have been on the back of clean sheets by Sorensen, who has been one of the team's most consistent performers despite the alarming slide down the table.

A dire lack of goals has been the overwhelming reason for Sunderland's dreadful season, and in the current dismal run Peter Reid's men have found the net only three times in seven games, two of the goals coming in the crucial home win over Leicester City at the start of the month.

Sorensen remains convinced that third-bottom Ipswich Town, five points behind Sunderland with a game in hand, cannot bring off a great escape.

The Tractor Boys play their extra game against Middlesbrough at Portman Road tonight and then face a tough home game against Manchester United on Saturday night before finishing the season at Liverpool.

Sunderland seem to have the easier finish to the season, at the Valley on Saturday before bringing down the curtain against already relegated Derby County.

Sorensen said: "To the neutral observer it's going to be exciting, but it's going to be tough for the Sunderland fans to handle and I feel sorry for them.

"But I still think one more win will be enough for us because I'm sure Ipswich have too much left to do and their run-in is difficult.

"But I hope everything is decided before the last game because it would not be the best to have to go into the game against Derby County with the pressure still on."

Nine-goal leading scorer Kevin Phillips, who has gone ten games without a goal, is battling to throw off an ankle ligament injury in time to play at Charlton, where Sunderland will be without suspended midfielders Gavin McCann and Claudio Reyna.

* Argentinian winger Julio Arca has knocked down reports from South America that he is unsettled on Wearside. Arca, currently back home recuperating from a groin injury, stressed: "I am very happy at Sunderland and I have asked my doctor in Argentina if I can return to play against Derby County if the manager needs me.

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