Sbragia praises board for backing their star striker

And the Sunderland hierarchy will continue to support the Black Cats boss in the transfer market with Sbragia expecting to make a breakthrough in the transfer market before the weekend.

On the day Jones agreed a deal that will keep him on Wearside until at least 2013, Sbragia saw his most coveted asset mark the event with a matchwinning goal.

“There’s one thing about Kenwyne – he’s never wavered or said that he wanted to leave Sunderland Football Club,”

said Sbragia, who saw Jones continue to justify his value to Sunderland with a goal that helped lift his side to 11th in the table.

“He deserves everything he gets. He deserves the new contract.

Without doubt we need him. We know we need him, he’s an important member of the team and he deserved that tonight.

“There’s a lot of players who if they knew there was interest from another club would want to talk to them but credit to Kenwyne, he was never interested.

“It is important that the club shows it’s ambition. Any manager that comes into the job doesn’t want to lose their best players.

“We’re in a business where we want to get Sunderland travelling in upward direction so we can’t afford to lose our best players.

“I thought that the owners of the club were outstanding with Kenwyne and deserve a lot of credit because there was a lot of pressure on the club and possibly the player. But he never indicated that he wanted to speak to Spurs.”

Despite his goal, Sbragia did not believe Jones was on top form last night predicting that following his return from a serious knee injury, he does not expect the Trinidad and Tobago international to be firing on all cylinders until March.

“I was glad he scored. I didn’t think he was tip top. He can do better but he scored a vital goal,” said Sbragia.

“He still has a lot to learn but he has a willingness to learn and that is so important.

There’s a lot still to come from Kenwyne.”

Victory over Fulham was Sbragia’s first league win since he took permanent charge of the side. But Sunderland’s flat first half performance ensured it was not a night that he particularly enjoyed.

Sbragia said: “The first half was disastrous. We didn’t get things going, played really deep and couldn’t get out of our own half.

“In the first half we were very poor but credit to Fulham they pressed us and we gave the ball away too easily which isn’t like us at all.To be honest I was glad to go in at half time nil nil.

“At the break we told them to get in their faces and the second half was much better and we deserved the goal.

“Longer the game goes on you get nervous and I was delighted to get the win.”

Sunderland’s victory saw them draw level with Fulham and Cottagers manager Roy Hodgson expects a tough battle right unti the end of the season.

“ I’m not going to say that we were robbed but on another day we’d have taken something,”

said the Fulham boss.

“Our attacking play was good but knew first goal could prove to be decisive and unfortunately that’s the way it was. At the end of game you have the bitter taste of defeat is in your mouth.”

Asked if he thought Sunderland and Fulham would be fighting for survival at the bottom of the Premier League for the rest of the season, he replied: “There could be a lot more than us. Ignore the top six and everyone else is in some sort of danger.

“We met a highly motivated Sunderland team who were desperate for a win.”