Sunderland 3, Bolton 1

Dec 30 2007 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

ROY KEANE will head for the January sales this week with renewed hope after seeing Sunderland climb out of the bottom three.

Goals from Kieran Richardson, Kenwyne Jones and Daryl Murphy saw off fellow strugglers Bolton at the Stadium of Light, ensuring that 2007 ended on a high note for the Wearsiders.

But the first half of the season has been an uphill struggle for Keane and his men, and it will need some astute investment in the January transfer window if Sunderland are to stay clear of the drop zone.

Sunderland are understood to be in talks with Championship side Leicester City over deals to offload Hungary international keeper Marton Fulop and midfielder Graham Kavanagh.

But it will be the players who arrive on Wearside next month that will make all the difference.

Keane is ready to splash the cash, and high on his shopping list is a striker to partner £6m man Jones, who was again outstanding yesterday.

As well as getting on the scoresheet himself, the Trinidad & Tobago targetman also provided the ammunition for both Richardson and Murphy as Sunderland claimed what could be one of the most important victories of the season.

This was a game that Keane himself billed as a must-win and a six-pointer – labels he has avoided using in previous games against sides in close proximity to Sunderland at the wrong end of the table.

And his team responded with their most assured performance for weeks.

It was by no means perfect, with Bolton applying almost all the pressure in the second half, but it was a big improvement and Sunderland now go into 2008 sitting fourth-bottom, a point above the relegation zone.

Keane made three changes to the side that started the 4-0 home defeat against Manchester United on Boxing Day.

Liam Miller returned after his three-match ban and replaced Dwight Yorke in central midfield.

After making his comeback from a lengthy injury absence as a sub against Man U, Richardson started in place of hamstring injury victim Ross Wallace on the right wing.

And Andy Cole came in alongside Jones up front in place of 17-year-old Martyn Waghorn, who had made his debut in midweek, but this time had to settle for a place on the bench.

Sunderland’s afternoon got off to the perfect start in the 13th minute when Jones brilliantly turned away from two Bolton defenders outside the right corner of the penalty area and then sidestepped the challenge of a third, before feeding the ball through for Richardson.

The ex-Man U midfielder, who joined Sunderland in the summer, claimed his first goal for his club with a first-time left-foot finish which keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen got a touch too, but could not prevent finding the top left-hand corner via the inside of the post.

Michael Chopra then brought a good save out of Jaaskelainen with a 25-yard free kick, which the Iceland international did well to push away at the foot of his right-hand post.

Sunderland then doubled their lead just after the half-hour point – marking the first time this season they have scored twice in the first half at home.

A looping header from Danny Higginbotham was tipped over the bar by Jaaskelainen, and Richardson’s right-wing corner was headed firmly home by Jones at the near post, with the keeper’s touch again not enough to keep the ball out.

With a two-goal lead, Sunderland visibly grew in confidence, but they were unable to make it through to half-time without conceding.

With sole striker Nicolas Anelka well below-par, Bolton had barely offered a threat in the first half.

But a 30-yard free kick from El-Hadji Diouf outside the left corner of the box undid the Black Cats.

Kevin Davies was completely unmarked six yards out and swung a boot at the ball, missed it entirely, but the ball found the bottom-right corner of the net with Craig Gordon helpless, as he had anticipated Davies making contact.

Early in the second period, Richardson brought a good save out of Jaaskelainen, but most of the second half belonged to Bolton.

They dominated possession and Sunderland, in the rare position of having a lead to protect, started to defend deeper and deeper.

All credit to the defence, however, they kept the Trotters at arms’ length and Gordon had only one innocuous on-target shot to deal with in the second period.

Sunderland looked nervy in the final 20 minutes as they gave the ball away time after time, so it came as a huge relief when sub Murphy sealed victory a minute into injury-time.

A long free kick from Gordon was flicked on by Jones to Murphy who held off the challenge of Danny Guthrie on the edge of the box before firing a low left-foot shot across Jaaskelainen into the bottom right-hand corner.

Sunderland deserved their victory and now go to Blackburn on Wednesday looking to start 2008 as they finished 2007.