Sunderland count cost of win

Oct 19 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

SUNDERLAND will be anxiously waiting to hear the cost of their first victory over Liverpool since 2002, earned thanks in no small part to what Steve Bruce described as one of the best performances he had ever seen.

Captain Lorik Cana was outstanding first in central midfield, then central defence as the Black Cats recorded a fifth consecutive home win for the first time since 2005. The only downside was injuries to Kenwyne Jones and Lee Cattermole. Jones, on the wrong end of some rough treatment from Jamie Carragher throughout the second half, departed after 66 minutes with an ankle injury which needed lengthy treatment, as had Cattermole’s knee minutes earlier.

“The worst case with Kenwyne is that it’s months rather than weeks,” said Black Cats boss Bruce. “That’s the big downside because we can’t do without our big players just yet.

“Thank God we’ve signed (Boudewijn) Zenden because we are short. Kenwyne is a twisted ankle and Catts is a twisted knee and we think he’s done his medial ligaments. We hope it’s not his cruciates because that would be a killer.”

The Black Cats moved above Liverpool and into seventh in the Premier League courtesy of a Darren Bent goal which bounced in off a beach ball thrown onto the field by an away fan.

The goal was wrongly allowed to stand but Reds manager Rafael Benitez refused to use it – or the absence of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres – as an excuse for being outplayed by a Sunderland side who also hit the woodwork through Bent. Zenden was making his debut having only received international clearance to sign as a free agent the previous afternoon.

After recovering from the foot injury which kept him out of Northern Ireland’s midweek World Cup qualifier, George McCartney felt ill at half-time and was also substituted.

Anton Ferdinand filled in at left-back, while Cana dropped into the position he plays for Albania.