Source: Northern_Echo
Bent strikes again to fire Sunderland in to top ten
DARREN BENT'S 25th goal of the season was enough to lift Sunderland in to the Premier League's top ten this afternoon.[LNB] Bent's clinical strike after seven minutes separated the two teams at the KC Stadium, where Hull City can officially start to plan for life in the Championship next season.[LNB] It was a match full of incident, with both teams having a man sent off after Jimmy Bullard had also missed a first half penalty which would have levelled matters.[LNB] But Sunderland survived, unlike Hull whose failure to win has sealed the end of their top-flight stay, and now they head in to their last two matches intent on staying in the top half.[LNB] It was a match which could have gone either way. After Bent had side-footed the opener in from a difficult angle after Kenwyne Jones' knock down, the game really opened up just before the break.[LNB] A tussle between Jozy Altidore and Alan Hutton ended with the latter throwing the ball at the Hull striker, who was floored from the earlier challenge.[LNB] But then Altidore reacted by bouncing to his feet, charging towards Hutton, who fell to the floor holding his face after the American's head powered in his direction.[LNB] Both men were shown red cards, opening up the space in the second half, but neither side could add to the scoreline.[LNB] And when Sunderland manager Steve Bruce was also sent to the stands seven minutes from time for persistently walking out of his technical area, the tension rose again, albeit from the hosts.[LNB] The Black Cats, however, held on and secured their first away win in the Premier League since the opening day of the season, leaving them thinking about a top ten finish.[LNB] HULL CITY (4-4-2): Duke; Mendy, Mouyokolo, Gardner, Dawson; Bullard (Cairney 46), Geovanni, Boateng (Cullen 76), Barmby (Fagan 62); Folan, Altidore. Subs: Myhill (gk), Fagan, Kilbane, Sonko, Olofinjana.[LNB] SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Gordon; Hutton, Turner (Ferdinand 46), Kilgallon, Richardson; Campbell, Meyler, Henderson, Malbranque (Bardsley 46); Bent, Jones (Cana 61). Subs: Carson, Da Silva, Zenden, Benjani.[LNB]
