Burnley 3 Sunderland 1

Sep 20 2009 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

Sunderland were by far the better side in the first half and could have gone in front with only two minutes on the clock, when Campbell cut inside from the right flank in the early minutes and fired the ball across goal, but keeper Brian Jensen pushed it away to safety.

And then in the seventh minute Campbell was presented with an even better opportunity when Andy Reid crossed from the left, the striker brought the ball down on the edge of the six-yard box but his weak effort was parried by the keeper.

Burnley made Sunderland pay in the 12th minute, when they went in front from their first meaningful attack.

Graham Alexander fed the ball into the right-hand channel for Wade Elliott to chase into the box, Ferdinand came across to cover but Elliott nudged it past him and was then tripped by the defender, leaving referee Chris Foy an easy penalty decision.

Alexander stepped up to convert his 26th penalty in a row, blasting straight down the middle as his Scotland international teammate Craig Gordon dived low to his left.

Sunderland were briefly knocked out of their stride and Burnley threatened to get on top in the game, but gradually the Black Cats wrested back control.

A mix-up between Burnley centre-backs Clark Carlisle and Andre Bikey gifted Bent a golden chance midway through the half.

The defensive duo failed to deal with a bouncing ball inside the box and Bent seized on it and hit a shot on the turn eight yards out, but it was straight at Jensen and he made the save.

Bent was not to be denied six minutes before the interval, however, when Reid cut inside from the left and slipped a clever pass into the box for the £10m striker.

Burnley protested furiously that Bent was offside, but Carlisle clearly played him on and Bent controlled before steering his shot beyond Jensen and into the bottom right-hand corner.

That goal was the first Burnley have conceded on home soil since March, and it brought Sunderland back into the match.

In the 53rd minute, Campbell was again foiled by Jensen when Steed Malbranque pulled the ball back from the byline on the right, Bent dummied and his strike partner hit a low shot which was parried by the keeper.

And on 67 minutes, it was Burnley who went ahead for a second time, with Nugent getting the goal on his home debut after signing a six-month loan deal at Turf Moor on the final day of the August transfer window. Burnley got forward down the right through Tyrone Mears and he fed the ball to Elliott, who delivered the cross – and there was Nugent unmarked at the near post to plant a firm header past Gordon and into the right side of the net from the edge of the six yard box.

Sunderland tried without success to find an equaliser but Burnley wrapped up the points in the 87th minute when sub Jones gave the ball away cheaply in the final third and the Clarets broke quickly out of defence.

Mears played the ball to Nugent inside the box and he turned Lorik Cana and hit a left-foot shot, which flew past Gordon into the top left-hand corner and sent the capacity crowd wild.

Sunderland must now pick themselves up in time to face Birmingham in the Carling Cup on Tuesday, before they return to league action against Mick McCarthy’s Wolves at the Stadium of Light a week today.