HACKWATCH: Preston 0, Lads 2 - hurrah!!!

OPPO: Preston North End
VENUE: Deepdale
RESULT: 0-2 (Thornton 4, Stewart 31)
TEAM: Poom, Wright, Breen, Clark (McCartney 29), Arca, Piper (Healy 51), Thornton, Thirlwell, Kilbane, Kyle, Stewart (Proctor).
SUBS NOT USED: Oster, Ingham
PRAT IN BLACK:T Bates
ATTENDANCE: 14,080

MCCARTHY’S COMMENTS

"One swallow does not make a summer but I'm relieved. I'm very pleased because it was a good performance and a good three points.

"I apologise to Darwen for not taking that record off your hands. But I'm delighted for my side and very proud.

"My philosophy was to relax and play and we would get a break. We got a little bit of luck and thrived on it.

"The players were of the mind that if we could get our noses in front we could win.

"I didn't mention the record in the team talk, absolutely not. All that does is hype it up. I said to the lads before the game 'relax and go and play'. There are loads of things right with the players, the team and the club."

SAFC OFFICIAL WEBSITE

...an easy win at Preston.

A defeat was never on the cards as the Black Cats dominated.

It was all Sunderland in the opening half and the Wearsiders looked a totally different outfit to the one that lost at home to Millwall.

Kyle appeared in the second half wearing a Terry Butcher-style head bandage but it did not stop him from rampaging forward at every chance.

Sunderland settled after a tricky spell early in the second half.

Michael Proctor came on for Stewart with eight minutes to go and it was at a time when Sunderland were forced into some last-gasp defending.

INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

”Sunderland escape the dreaded Hall of Shame”

Sunderland ended their run of League defeats in resounding style… they beat Preston North End at Deepdale comfortably.

Sean Thornton and Marcus Stewart’s strong running and clever passing was the difference between the teams.

Stewart was the catalyst for Sunderland's return to some semblance of form.

Sunderland were good value for their advantage….they might have been four-up at halftime.

Sunderland were dealing comfortably with whatever Preston threw at them and seemed content to soak up Preston pressure in the second half.

Breen and McCartney stood up well to a barrage of high balls.

This was an important first step towards respectability.

SUNDAY TIMES

”Black Cats stop the rot

Jason McAteer bristled last week when his club’s 17-game losing run and Darwen’s 18-match record, was brought up. “I don’t give a damn about records. Kylie Minogue makes records.”

Sean Thornton, Sunderland’s irascible midfielder, and their impressive striker, Marcus Stewart, were the goalscorers at Deepdale.

Sunderland played yesterday as if they had a point to prove.

Stewart was a revelation against a Preston team and the architect of the opening goal that took all the tension out of the occasion for the visitors.

Preston were foiled by Mart Poom, who made three excellent saves in the final 15 minutes.

THE OBSERVER

”Stewart lets Sunderland relax”

The prospect of arguably Sunderland's worst nightmare was lifted after just four minutes.

Marcus Stewart out-muscled Michael Jackson on the left wing before cutting in towards goal and forcing Jonathan Gould into a terrific reflex save.

BBC NEWS ONLINE

Sunderland secured a fine win at Preston.

…they rarely looked like slipping up after Thornton put them ahead after just four minutes.

Stewart outmuscled Preston defender Michael Jackson on the left wing before cutting in and forcing Jonathan Gould into a terrific reflex save to deny his thumping right-foot shot. However Thornton snapped up the rebound to tap the ball into an empty net.

Preston offered little going forward

Sunderland spurned a late opportunity to finish the match in style when Kilbane tripped over his own feet as he homed in on goal.

SKY SPORTS ONLINE

Seven-and-a-half months since their last league point, Sunderland finally found the winning formula.

Sunderland’s determination to avoid humiliation was clear from the outset.

Sunderland were full value for their victory. They visibly grew in confidence after that opening goal and could have quickly added a second.

Sunderland’s steadfast defending was rewarded with a first clean sheet since their goalless draw with Blackburn on January 11, the last time they avoided defeat.

Poom's excellent save from Etuhu's late volley typified Sunderland's resilience.