Sunderland 1 Aston Villa 0

Oct 24 2010 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

IF Darren Bent draws a blank, where will the goals come from? That’s the question Sunderland fans have been asking all season.

So thank heaven hapless Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne provided the answer yesterday.

Dunne’s 25th minute own-goal was his eighth in the Premier League – increasing the all-time Premier League record he already held – and proved the difference between the sides.

Dunne’s gaffe gave Sunderland only their second win of the season and extended their unbeaten league run to seven games.

Five of the Black Cats’ eight goals this term have come from Bent. In fact, so reliant are Sunderland on their talismanic frontman that, until yesterday, you had to go all the way back to August last year to find the last time they won a league game without Bent’s name on the scoresheet.

But if a lack of goals from other sources is giving Bruce a headache, the lack of goals at the other will soothe his pain.

Sunderland’s clean sheet against Villa was their third in a row, and Simon Mignolet became the first Sunderland goalkeeper since Thomas Sorensen in December 2000 to keep a hat-trick of clean sheets, although the Belgian was grateful to a post in the first half and a goal-line clearance from Jordan Henderson.

Sunderland’s solidity has been built on strong foundations, with Bruce naming the same back four for the fourth game in a row – part of an unchanged starting eleven following on from Monday night’s goalless draw at Blackburn. Villa boss Gerard Houllier made one change from the Chelsea match last weekend, with Emile Heskey replacing John Carew up front.

Sunderland opened Villa up with their first attack, Nedum Onuoha playing the ball down the right for Henderson who turned inside Dunne and crossed for Steed Malbranque, but the midfielder’s flick header fell wide.

But Villa came straight back at the Black Cats and came even closer with their own first foray forward.