Sunderland survived a desperate rally from struggling Cardiff to draw level at the top of the Coca Cola Championship with Wigan Athletic and Ipswich Town.
First-half goals from central defender Gary Breen and veteran striker Marcus Stewart had put the Black Cats into a commanding lead, but when defender Tony Vidmar completely deceived goalkeeper Thomas Myhre with five minutes left, the mood of a bumper crowd suddenly changed.
In a dramatic finish Cardiff substitute Alan Lee was sent off for elbowing Stephen Caldwell but still the visitors surged forward for an unexpected equaliser only for the home side to hold out for a second home win of the week.
Dean Whitehead fired just past the post before Sunderland surged into a fourth minute lead.
Cardiff skipper Graham Kavanagh collided with team-mate Rhys Weston which allowed Andy Welsh, deputising for the injured Julio Arca, to centre deep where Breen dilled a low shot which was helped into the net by goalkeeper Neil Alexander.
Cardiff responded with Cameron Jerome having a shot blocked, Junichi Inamoto firing just past the post and Kavanagh blasting a free-kick narrowly wide.
Sunderland lost full-back Mark Lynch, making a rare appearance for the suspended Stephen Wright, with a dislocated knee cap but the home side surged further ahead in the 42nd minute when Stewart headed home his 13th goal of the season from Whitehead's centre.
The game should have been put beyond the visitors in the 53rd minute when Stewart and substitute Liam Lawrence up the easiest of chances for Welsh who completely missed his kick with the goal at his mercy.
The best chances of the second half fell to Cardiff with Jobi McAnuff and Inamoto guilty of squandering excellent opportunities when well placed.
Vidmar raised hopes when a cross-cum-centre sailed over a hapless Mhyre and a powerfully struck free-kick from Daniel Gabbidon flew just past the post to the relief of the Sunderland fans.
Saturday, 26th February 2005 Barclays Premiership ASTON VILLA (0) 1 EVERTON (1) 3 40,248 CRYSTAL PALACE (1) 2 BIRMINGHAM CITY (0) 0 23,376 MANCHESTER UNITED (1) 2 PORTSMOUTH (0) 1 67,989 SOUTHAMPTON (0) 1 ARSENAL (1) 1 31,815 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (0) 2 FULHAM (0) 0 35,885 Coca-Cola Championship BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION (0) 1 MILLWALL (0) 0 6,608 COVENTRY CITY (0) 0 STOKE CITY (0) 0 13,871 GILLINGHAM (0) 2 WIGAN ATHLETIC (0) 1 7,209 IPSWICH TOWN (0) 0 QUEENS PARK RANGERS (1) 2 29,008 LEEDS UNITED (0) 2 WEST HAM UNITED (0) 1 34,115 NOTTINGHAM FOREST (1) 2 DERBY COUNTY (1) 2 26,160 PLYMOUTH ARGYLE (1) 3 CREWE ALEXANDRA (0) 0 14,918 PRESTON NORTH END (0) 1 BURNLEY (0) 0 18,202 READING (0) 0 LEICESTER CITY (0) 0 14,651 SHEFFIELD UNITED (0) 1 ROTHERHAM UNITED (0) 0 18,431 SUNDERLAND (2) 2 CARDIFF CITY (0) 1 32,788 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (0) 0 WATFORD (0) 0 25,060 Coca-Cola Championship 2004/2005Historical league standings at 26th February 2005 Home Away Overall # Team Pl W D L F A W D L F A W D L F A Pts GD 1 Wigan Athletic 35 10 4 3 35 11 9 5 4 27 16 19 9 7 62 27 66 35 2 Sunderland 35 12 4 2 35 17 8 2 7 20 16 20 6 9 55 33 66 22 3 Ipswich Town 35 13 2 3 33 18 6 7 4 29 25 19 9 7 62 43 66 19 4 Derby County 35 6 5 6 26 25 10 3 5 26 19 16 8 11 52 44 56 8 5 Preston North End 35 12 4 2 34 18 4 4 9 14 28 16 8 11 48 46 56 2 6 West Ham United 34 11 2 4 27 16 5 4 8 21 25 16 6 12 48 41 54 7 7 Reading 35 10 6 2 26 11 4 5 8 14 22 14 11 10 40 33 53 7 8 Sheffield United 33 6 6 5 18 17 8 3 5 22 25 14 9 10 40 42 51 -2 9 Millwall 35 9 2 6 22 16 5 6 7 14 15 14 8 13 36 31 50 5 10 Leeds United 36 7 6 5 25 19 6 5 7 17 21 13 11 12 42 40 50 2 11 Stoke City 34 8 2 6 14 11 5 7 6 9 13 13 9 12 23 24 48 -1 12 Queens Park Rangers 34 8 4 5 24 19 6 2 9 19 26 14 6 14 43 45 48 -2 13 Burnley 33 6 5 4 16 13 5 7 6 11 14 11 12 10 27 27 45 0 14 Watford 34 5 8 3 19 12 5 6 7 23 27 10 14 10 42 39 44 3 15 Brighton & Hove Albion 35 7 4 7 18 20 5 4 8 12 23 12 8 15 30 43 44 -13 16 Crewe Alexandra 34 5 7 5 32 27 6 3 8 22 32 11 10 13 54 59 43 -5 17 Wolverhampton W'drs. 34 5 10 3 29 23 4 5 7 17 22 9 15 10 46 45 42 1 18 Leicester City 33 5 6 5 16 14 4 8 5 19 19 9 14 10 35 33 41 2 19 Plymouth Argyle 35 7 5 6 23 20 4 3 10 17 28 11 8 16 40 48 41 -8 20 Cardiff City 34 7 3 7 19 15 2 7 8 17 24 9 10 15 36 39 37 -3 21 Coventry City 35 5 5 8 19 22 4 4 9 23 35 9 9 17 42 57 36 -15 22 Gillingham 35 8 3 7 17 20 1 4 12 15 35 9 7 19 32 55 34 -23 23 Nottingham Forest 33 6 6 5 21 21 0 6 10 11 26 6 12 15 32 47 30 -15 24 Rotherham United 35 1 7 9 14 26 2 6 10 12 26 3 13 19 26 52 22 -26Source: Sunderland-Mad
Source: FOOTYMAD
