SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid became the target for crowd abuse after his side came within a whisker of losing this season's unbeaten record at the Stadium of Light.

The home defence was all at sea as Norwegian midfielder Jo Tessem was left with only goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen to beat in the second minute of injury time, but he let the Wearsiders off the hook by blasting his shot horribly wide from only ten yards.

The home fans were not at all pleased by the team's second half performance and booed the players off, with some supporters in the main stand singling out Reid for a torrent of angry expletives.

Reid, in turn, gave his players a tongue-lashing in the dressing room afterwards for not playing to orders in the second half, when they looked to have the game sewn up after Scottish international Don Hutchison scored his fourth goal in three games in the 80th minute to give his side a 2-1 lead.

Reid still had time for a joke afterwards when he said: "Before we start I wonder where my team went after half time. I have no idea - have you?"

But on a more serious note he said: "The first 45 minutes was the best we've played all season - it was good, attacking, inventive football.

"But in the second half we switched off, lost our discipline and there were so many gaps and holes defensively I was just happy to get away with a point at the end.

"It might have been terrific entertainment, but I wasn't happy about it.

"The crowd was disappointed at the end like I was and I have had a couple of words in there (the dressing room)."

Reid felt that his side could have been two or three goals up at half time and then everything went downhill.

Things looked ominous for Sunderland when they went behind to a wonder goal from England Under-21 striker James Beattie.

In the 12th minute he unleashed an incredible right foot shot from all of 40 yards which caught Thomas Sorensen, on the edge of the six-yard box, totally unaware and the Danish keeper managed to get a hand to the ball but could not prevent it from screaming into the top of the net.

The strike could qualify as goal of the season and was certainly the best ever seen at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland, however, pulled themselves together, playing some attractive football and before a bad mistake by Norwegian international Claus Lundekvam allowed Niall Quinn to sneak in at the far post to claim his third goal of the season in the 23rd minute, his Irish international teammate Kevin Kilbane had tested goalkeeper Paul Jones with a rasping low shot.

Jones knew little about a tremendous header from Kevin Phillips that he managed to block a minute later and was lucky to see Don Hutchison slide in to knock his finish against the outside of the post.

Sunderland were still well on top when hard-working midfielder got on the end of a lovely attacking foray, only to sweep his right-foot shot wide of the target in the 40th minute.

Sunderland had been totally in control, but warning bells sounded just after half-time when the dangerous Marian Pahars put a shot over the bar.

The fans, however, were still happy enough with the open, attacking football which was being served up by both teams, but there was a huge feeling of disappointment when Phillips squandered a great chance in the 52nd minute after Kilbane had wrong-footed the Southampton defence with a clever dummy.

Suddenly, however, Southampton started to push their way forward and Pahars shot against the keeper when a simple pass would have provided a second goal for Beattie.

Then midfielder Chris Marsden showed atrocious control right in front of goal before Pahars was denied by Sorensen - two great chances in the space of a minute.

Sunderland still looked to have the game in the bag when Hutchison fired in a shot which was deflected off Lundekvam past the luckless Jones.

But instead of making sure of victory Sunderland found themselves chasing shadows and it came as no real surprise when centre-back Dean Richards headed the equaliser in the 88th minute.

And when Tessem found himself totally unmarked in the second minute of stoppage time the home fans feared the worst - but he astonishingly fired wide when it seemed he couldn't miss