Edwards battles Konchesky for the ball inside the box and the ball almost falls nicely for the Sunderland player but the referee awards Fulham a free-kick.

The fourth official indicates three minutes of added time.

Aaron Hughes misses a header and Jones latches onto the long ball, bursting into the penalty area, but his left footed shot is blocked by the knees of Schwarzer who was quick off his line.

Johnson runs at goal and is tripped just outside the box but the referee doesn't see it as a foul and Sunderland regain possession.

Carlos Edwards hits an ambitious effort from distance and slices it harmlessly wide of the mark.

Teemu Tainio has picked up a knock and Sunderland are forced to make their final change of the game as the midfielder hobbles off. Grant Leadbitter takes his place.

Pantsil beats Bardsley on the corner of the box before striking a decent looking volley but it loops over the crossbar and Fulop breathes a sigh of relief.

Ricky Sbragia comes to the edge of his technical area and appears to be trying to sure things up at the back.

Malbranque takes the free-kick but it is headed behind for a corner by a Fulham defender.

Reid has come to life in the last few minutes and this may be one of the reasons why Sbragia has changed his mind over substitutions as the midfielder wins a free-kick in a dangerous position.

Jones' shot deflects into the path of Malbranque and he gets a shot away from close range and Schwarzer pulls off another superb reaction save.

Sunderland fail to deal with a Fulham cross and the ball drops to Davies at the far post and he somehow manages to poke the ball over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box.

The game dips in tempo for a few minutes and it looks like Sunderland may be making a double substitution shortly.

Malbranque dispossesses Etuhu in a dangerous position and gets a shot away from 20-yards but it is a comfortable save for Schwarzer.

Johnson gets a sight of goal and unleashes a wild shot from distance that flies into the stand behind the goal.

Bardsley tries his luck with a shot from distance but his shot lacks direction and sails high and wide of the target.

Jones goes in search of another goal but feels he is impeded inside the box but his appeals for a penalty are waved away by Mark Halsey.

Pantsil's looping cross is planted on the head of Zamora whose header bounces into arms of Fulop.

Johnson latches onto a long clearance and the ball sets up for him 20-yards from goal but his effort is blocked on the edge of the box by Danny Collins

Johnson gets some room in the box and he tries to chip a pass through to Zamora but Fulop plucks the ball off the head of the former West Ham striker.

Sunderland win their first corner of the game but his in-swinging delivery is headed clear by Hangeland on the edge of the six-yard box.

Davies attacks a bouncing ball and strikes it on the half-volley but he slices his effort and it swerves harmlessly away from goal.

Johnson latches onto a long ball and tries to cut into the box. His touch is heavy and almost falls into the path of Davies on the edge of the six-yard box but Fulop is quick off his line to smother the ball.

Dempsey hits a shot on the turn from the edge of the box but it curls around the far post.

Jones gets a snap shot away from inside the box and Schwarzer pulls off a top drawer reaction save to deny the forward. He parries the ball into the direction of Cisse who has an empty goal to aim at but Pantsil throws himself in the way of his shot.

Reid curls a left-footed shot at goal and Schwarzer has to scramble across his goal-line to palm the ball away.

Zamora strides forward and lays the ball off to Clinton Dempsey whose low shot lacks power and bounces straight into the arms of Marton Fulop.

Cisse and Reid stand over the free-kick and it is the latter who takes it, firing it straight into the wall.

Dickson Etuhu, who is playing against his former club tonight, catches Dean Whitehead with a high foot and Sunderland have a free-kick 25-yards from goal.

Cisse finds space for a shot and lets fly from the edge of the box and Schwarzer has to parry the ball away to safety.

Sunderland are managing to work the ball into decent areas but cannot seem to find the final ball and Brede Hangeland is dealing well with most of the crosses.

The ball falls nicely for Davies on the edge of the box but he sends his low shot wide of the target.

Neither side have managed to test the goalkeeper yet and both are struggling to retain possession.

Fulham have been impressive away from home so far this season but are being put under a little bit of pressure by Sunderland at the moment.

Sunderland win a free-kick in a decent position and the defenders come forward but Andy Reid wastes the opportunity by sending the set-piece straight into the wall.

Teemu Tainio lofts a ball over the Fulham defence in search of Cisse who had made a run, but there is too much power behind the pass and it runs straight through to Mark Schwarzer.

Malbranque skips around Murphy inside the box and goes down under the challenge. The home side appeal for a penalty but Mark Halsey waves away the protests.

Cisse has started this game very brightly and looks desperate for a goal.

Kenwyne Jones links up with Cisse and the Frenchman tries to back-heel the ball into the path of Malbranque in the box but Paul Konchesky reacts quickly and hacks the ball out for a throw-in.

Sunderland counter attack and Steed Malbranque plays through Djbril Cisse whose vicious shot whistles past the near post.

Fulham enjoy a decent spell of possession around the edge of the Sunderland box but in the end Simon Davies' low cross is cleared by Anton Ferdinand.

There is a great buzz around the Stadium of Light and the Sunderland fans will be hoping to see their first win in three games tonight.