The Whites Are Staying Up
7:09pm Saturday 3rd May 2008 in Sport By Marc Higginson
Full-time: Wanderers 2 Sunderland 0
WANDERERS are virtually guaranteed Premier League safety after a fantastic victory over Sunderland at the Reebok.
Daryl Murphy's own-goal eight minutes from time, coupled with El-Hadji Diouf's first-half strike, means Gary Megson's men will stay up barring a final day catastrophe at Chelsea.
Wanderers have a superior goal difference of 11 over Reading, who visit Derby on the final day of the season next Sunday.
It wasn't always pretty, but the Whites were well worth the points after restricting Sunderland to scraps in front of goal while creating some fine chances themselves.
Diouf opened the scoring when he finished at the back post on 42 minutes after skipper Kevin Nolan had whipped in a fine cross from the right.
The Senegalese hitman hit the post with a header, and also saw another effort go wide, but frayed nerves were eased when Murphy headed into his own net from Matt Taylor's corner.
Andy Reid thought he had cleared the ball but it had clearly crossed the line and Wanderers fans could start the We're staying up' chants.
The closest Sunderland came to scoring was when Kenwyne Jones somehow failed to connect with Roy O'Donovan's cross when the slightest touch would have brought a goal.
Wanderers: Al-Habsi; Steinsson, Cahill, Andy O'Brien, Samuel; McCann; Diouf, Nolan, Guthrie, Taylor; Davies. Not used: Meite, Stelios, Cohen, Rasiak, Walker.
Sunderland: Gordon; Collins, Nosworthy (Murphy 61), Evans, Higginbotham; Richardson, Whitehead, Miller (Leadbitter 61), Reid; Chopra (O'Donovan 61), Jones. Not used: Subs: Yorke, Fulop.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (Yorkshire).
Attendance: 25,053.
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