Bolton 0 Sunderland 0

SUNDERLAND took a small step towards securing Premier League football for a third successive season at Bolton this afternoon – even if they failed to record a single shot on target.

With Hull City losing, this largely unattractive goalless draw has given the men from Wearside a five-point advantage to the relegation zone ahead of Monday’s crucial Tyne-Tees derby.

And with bottom club West Brom’s win over Wigan putting them level on points with both Newcastle and Middlesbrough, all eyes now turn to St James’ Park for a fixture that will have massive implications in the fight to avoid relegation.

After a first half at the Reebok Stadium in which Sunderland dominated, there must have been strong hopes among the 5,000 travelling supporters that a much-needed three points would arrive.

However, with neither team able to force the respective goalkeepers into a single save throughout the 90 minutes, a goalless draw was a fair result on reflection, with Kieran Richardson moist wasteful in front of goal.

And in the end Sunderland were grateful to Hungarian goalkeeper Marton Fulop for making a flying save in the last seconds of injury-time to deny Gary Cahill, leaving Ricky Sbragia satisfied with a point.

It is one that leaves the three teams in the drop zone – West Brom, Middlesbrough and Newcastle – in need of two victories from the remaining fixtures to topple Sunderland.

And even then that is presuming that Sbragia fails to enjoy one last victory before the season closes, with a trip to Portsmouth a week on Monday and the visit of Chelsea remaining.

BOLTON (4-5-1): Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, O’Brien, Cahill, Samuel; K Davies, McCann, Cohen (M Davies 46), Muamba, Taylor; Elmander (Riga 68). Subs: Al Habsi, Makukula, Smolarek, Puygrenier, Basham.

SUNDERLAND (4-5-1): Fulop; Bardsley, Ferdinand, Davenport, Collins; Malbranque, Leadbitter, Tainio (Reid 80), Whitehead, Richardson; Jones (Cisse 71). Subs: Edwards, Murphy, McShane, Healy, Colgan.