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Mike Dean calls an end to the match and Sunderland celebrate a vital win.
Daryl Murphy hits the post and Kieran Richardson sends the rebound over the crossbar.
Goncalves Manucho's header goes wide in what must have been Hull's last chance.
Steed Malbranque wins a corner from Kevin Kilbane and is trying his best to run the clock down.
The goalscorer Djibril Cisse is replaced by Daryl Murphy.
Time is running out for Hull and the Sunderland fans are starting to celebrate.
There are four minutes of added time.
Kieran Richardson is booked and Hull have a dangerous free-kick which is eventually cleared.
Bernard Mendy chips a ball in from the byline and Craig Fagan heads across the the area when he could have gone for goal.
Phil Brown is shown a yellow card after throwing the ball down in the technical area.
Both teams need the win and it should be an interesting last five minutes.
Kamil Zayatte's long ball is punched away by Craig Gordon but Hull come forward again and Goncalves Manucho's effort is wide.
Bernard Mendy's left-foot shot flies over the crossbar.
Bernard Mendy receives a talking-to from Mike Dean after reacting to a challenge from Kieran Richardson.
Goncalves Manucho's shot goes out for a throw-in to the delight of the home fans.
Carlos Edwards is replaced by Steed Malbranque.
Nicky Barmby replaces George Boateng.
Kieran Richardson comes on for Andy Reid.
Andy Reid's free-kick is headed back across goal by Calum Davenport straight into the arms of Boaz Myhill.
Bernard Mendy comes on for Deiberson Geovanni.
Caleb Folan heads Sam Ricketts's cross just past the post in a great chance for Hull.
Andy Reid is almost away on the halfway line but is stopped by a good tackle by George Boateng.
The game is end-to-end now but neither side can make the most of their chances.
The Sunderland fans are getting nervous with Hull now making their attacking intentions known.
Dean Marney is replaced by Caleb Folan.
Hull are enjoying more possession but still only have Goncalves Manucho on his own up front.
There's a great atmosphere inside the Stadium of Light with both sets of fans in full voice.
Kenwyne Jones is flagged offside.
Andy Reid tries to lob the keeper from a throughball from Grant Leadbitter but it's just over the bar.
Djibril Cisse is offside again.
Dean Marney has a first-time volley which flies way over the bar, again after George Boateng had picked up the loose ball.
Grant Leadbitter's free-kick curls round the wall but also round the far post.
Michael Turner catches Teemu Tainio in the face but doesn't receive another caution.
Hull's fans are urging their side on and George Boateng has another effort which goes wide.
Grant Leadbitter's cross is just missed by Calum Davenport and Kenwyne Jones and goes harmlessly behind.
Danny Collins wins a corner off Dean Marney.
George Boateng has a fierce strike which is not far wide of Craig Gordon's goal.
Djibril Cisse is caught offside.
Kenwyne Jones's effort is on target but straight at Boaz Myhill.
Hull counter-attack quickly but can't find the target.
Kenwyne Jones thinks he's put Sunderland further ahead but his effort is ruled offside.
Djibril Cisse almost gets a second goal 20 seconds from the restart but Boaz Myhill makes the save.
The second half gets underway.
Half Time: SUNDERLAND 1-0 HULL CITY. The referee calls an end to a nervy first half with Sunderland just about deserving their lead.
Djibril Cisse is booked for his celebration.
SUNDERLAND 1-0 HULL CITY: CISSE reacts first to Andy Reid's cross to fire Sunderland ahead.
Teemu Tainio tries to find Djibril Cisse but the ball bounces through to Boaz Myhill.
There will be three minutes of added time.
Michael Turner heads Geovanni's corner back into the danger area but Danny Collins clears off the line.
Dean Marney's low shot takes a deflection and Hull have their sixth corner.
Carlos Edwards does well to get a cross in against Michael Turner but no-one attacks the ball and Boaz Myhill makes the catch.
Grant Leadbitter is back on the pitch.
Grant Leadbitter is down injured and referee Mike Dean stops play.
Howls from the Sunderland fans as a free-kick is given for high feet on Andy Dawson in the penalty area.
Kevin Kilbane is booked for a foul on Andy Reid.
Michael Turner is booked for knocking the ball out of Craig Gordon's hands as he tries to take a goal-kick.
Craig Gordon catches Kevin Kilbane's corner.
Hull are putting together a spell of possession and win a fifth corner.
Grant Leadbitter tries to run the ball through to Djibril Cisse but it trickles through to Boaz Myhill.
We have a break in play as Dean Marney is down receiving treatment.
Manucho fouls Anton Ferdinand on the edge of the penalty area and Sunderland have the free-kick.
Andy Dawson manages to scramble the ball away after the corner causes all sorts of problems in the Hull penalty area.
Andy Reid's curling free-kick takes a deflection and goes out for a corner.
Djibril Cisse is brought down by Sam Ricketts and the Hull man is lucky to escape a yellow card.
Manucho is almost through on goal but Calum Davenport makes a vital tackle and Craig Fagan and Kevin Kilbane can't make the final touch.
Geovanni tries to lob the keeper and his effort is not too far away.
Dean Marney gets to the corner first but Danny Collins is able to clear for another corner.
Geovanni's free-kick is deflected over the bar and Hull have a corner.
Djibril Cisse is able to direct the corner goalwards but again Boaz Myhill makes the save.
Danny Collins keeps the ball in at the byline and wins a corner.
Geovanni's corner is flicked across the penalty area but Sunderland are able to make the clearance.
Hull win their second corner.
The corner is easily caught by Boaz Myhill.
Sunderland have a corner and the noise levels increase again.
Carlos Edwards is caught by Geovanni and Phil Brown is not happy with the award of another Sunderland free-kick.
Phil Bardsley floats the ball into the penalty area but Boaz Myhill is up to make the catch.
Geovanni catches Phil Bardsley with a rash challenge and Sunderland have another free-kick.
it's a lively game so far on a chilly afternoon in the North-East.
Hull counterattack but Manucho falls over in the area and the chance is gone.
Grant Leadbitter's low shot is poor and straight into the wall.
Djibril Cisse wins a free-kick 30 yards out after being tripped.
Andy Reid almost gets a shot on goal but Michael Turner is able to hook the ball away.
Boaz Myhill is sharply off his line to prevent Grant Leadbitter's ball reaching Kenwyne Jones.
Geovanni's corner goes behind off Kamil Zayatte and Sunderland have the goal-kick.
Hull have already sent a couple of balls over the top towards Manucho and Kevin Kilbane has won them an early corner.
Kenwyne Jones goes down under a challenge from Michael Turner but he's okay to continue.
Kamil Zayatte almost finds Manucho with a deep cross but the ball is overhit.
The game gets underway in a packed Stadium of Light.
Hull have Daniel Cousin on the bench due to a back injury alongside Bernard Mendy.
Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia has named an unchanged side, with Kieran Richardson on the bench.
The archetypal relegation six-pointer sees Sunderland entertain Hull City at the Stadium of Light with both sides desperately in need of a win to boost their flagging survival hopes. The 17th-placed home team are just two points clear of the relegation zone, while a slump since the turn of the year has resulted in Hull dropping from a comfortable top-half position to the dangers of 15th spot. Four successive defeats and no wins in seven have increased the sense of foreboding around the Stadium of Light, but winger Carlos Edwards is confident there is enough quality and determination in the Black Cats squad to survive. Speaking after last weekend's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United, he said: "We have the determination to get out of this. We realise we're in a dogfight and we're up for it. We've got to make sure we show the same desire against Hull." Manager Ricky Sbragia has received two injury boosts in the build-up to the match as Kieran Richardson and Dean Whitehead are hoping to play some part after returning to training during the week. However, defender George McCartney has not recovered from a calf injury in time to be considered. Tigers manager Phil Brown has admitted that nerves have got to his struggling side in recent weeks. City are just four points above the drop-zone following last weekend's 3-1 defeat to fellow strugglers Middlesbrough and his side have won only once in their last 16 league games. "What we've got to work on this week is the nerves and holding ourselves together," he said. "I don't think it's a time for losing your rag or losing your temper, it's a time for trying to remain calm and remain cool under the pressure." Losing 4-1 at home to Sunderland in December is hardly reason for optimism and the Tigers' task has been made harder by the absence of Ian Ashbee, who will serve a two-match suspension after being shown his tenth yellow card of the season last weekend.
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Sunderland eased their relegation worries with a vital 1-0 win over Hull City at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats are still some way off safety, but a Djibril Cisse strike was enough to see them leapfrog the Tigers and Blackburn Rovers in the league table. The home side's display was not one for the faint-hearted with Ricky Sbragia's men defending for their lives at times. However, in the end they stood firm and the final whistle was greeted by a mixture of ecstatic cheering and massive sighs of relief among the red and white faithful. Before that the hosts had to endure some very nervy moments as Hull battled to try and take something from the clash. In the end though they were unable to find the breakthrough they craved. That was largely due to a lack of shooting prowess in front of goal. City worked hard and forced the home side onto the back foot for long spells, but they never really tested Craig Gordon in the Sunderland goal. The only time the Scot was called upon to make a save came in the 26th minute when ex-Sunderland player Kevin Kilbane headed at goal. Gordon got down to make the save and, apart from a few second-half punched clearances, was largely untried. To be fair neither side was really able to grab the game by the scruff of the neck in the first half which was a fairly nervy and turgid encounter. The Tigers seemed to be relying on the high ball over the top and, while that had the Black Cats at sixes and sevens from time to time, it never paid off as far as goals were concerned. Sbragia had said before the game that his side would favour the direct approach but there was little evidence of that in the opening stages. In fact it was City who were asking most of the questions in the first half, but it was the hosts who had the final say. With half-time looming, Cisse swooped with a header to put his side in front against the run of play. Andy Reid's cross was flicked on by Danny Collins and Cisse stooped to guide the ball into the Hull net. It had taken almost all of the first half for the Wearsiders to really get going, but they were quickest out of the blocks after the break. Buoyed by Cisse's finish, the Black Cats went after the Tigers at the start of the second half but they couldn't convert their attacking impetus into further goals. As the game wore on you could sense a feeling of nervousness wash over the Stadium of Light both on and off the field. The home team defended deeply and time and time again were forced to hack the ball clear under pressure. Hull pressed and went close through George Boateng, who fired just wide from 25 yards out before substitute Caleb Folan headed narrowly off target from Sam Ricketts' cross. Those missed chances just about summed up a frustrating afternoon for City whose alarming slide towards the relegation zone shows no sign of stopping. The Black Cats almost heaped more misery on the visitors as Daryl Murphy's late strike rocketed off the inside of the far post. It was not to be, but that won't worry the Wearsiders who gave themselves some respite from the relegation battle thanks to the three precious points.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
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