Sunderland survived a nervy final afternoon of the Premier League season, going down 2-3 to Chelsea, and will be the north-east's only representatives in the top flight next season.While rivals Newcastle and Middlesbrough were experiencing the trauma of relegation, Sunderland were succumbing to defeat in Guus Hiddink's final match as manager of Chelsea.
But results elsewhere meant it was not a costly loss and these two sides will meet again next season.
Substitute Salomon Kalou and England defender Ashley Cole struck inside the final 16 minutes to ensure the three points left Wearside with the visitors, despite Kenwyne Jones' 90th-minute header.
Kieran Richardson had earlier dragged the home side back into the game with a 53rd-minute strike, six minutes after Nicolas Anelka had claimed his 25th goal of the season and the Golden Boot with a 25-yard rocket.
A crowd of 42,468 left the ground happy for very different reasons, with the victors looking to next Saturday's FA Cup final clash with Everton and their hosts anticipating the watching Ellis Short's buy-out.
After a week during which the strength of the teams Chelsea and Manchester United might field had been a regular topic of debate, no-one could have any complaints about Guus Hiddink's response.
Seven days before the FA Cup final, he left out only Alex and Frank Lampard, and an early injury to Juliano Belletti meant Michael Ballack also got a run-out on his return from a hamstring injury.
It was a measure of what was at stake on a tense final afternoon of the season that the biggest cheer of the first half had nothing to do with what was happening at the Stadium of Light.
With 38 minutes gone on Wearside, the news filtered through that Aston Villa had taken the lead against Newcastle, and the resulting celebrations among the fans decked out in red and white were as much in relief as at the misery of their black and white neighbours.
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech got away with an unconvincing punch early on as he and Jones jumped for a Danny Collins cross.
He also saw a well-struck Grant Leadbitter shot fly well wide with 24 minutes gone as the home side worked hard to limit their opponents.
Chelsea's best moments came at either end of the half with Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda causing the problems.
The Ivory Coast striker chipped an eighth-minute shot just over the rapidly back-pedalling Martin Fulop, and then forced the Hungarian into a solid save from a tight angle three minutes later.
Fulop had to be at his best in stoppage-time when Drogba turned smartly on the edge of the box and curled a shot towards the bottom corner, where the goalkeeper just got his fingertips to the ball.
The woodwork denied the visitors deep into added time when Malouda crashed a dipping left-footed drive against the bar with Fulop beaten.
However, there was nothing Fulop or anyone else could do to prevent Chelsea from taking the lead two minutes after the restart.
Anelka, who had endured a quiet opening 45 minutes by his standards, took it upon himself to light up the game with a piece of individual brilliance.
He picked up the ball around 35 yards out and made ground before unleashing a piledriver which was too good for Fulop's despairing dive and screamed into the top corner.
But Sunderland refused to accept that was game over, and were back on level terms within six minutes.
The industrious Leadbitter battled hard for the opportunity to cross from the left, and when Cech spilled the ball under pressure from Jones, Richardson pounced to smash the rebound home.
Fulop had to be on his toes to keep out Ballack's near-post flick from a 57th-minute Malouda corner, but the home fans were starting to relax as the nightmare scenario receded.
Sunderland enjoyed their best spell of the game as they started to play with a freedom which had been lacking in recent weeks, and nearly took the lead with 19 minutes remaining.
Steed Malbranque broke from his own half and exchanged passes with the supporting Calum Davenport, only for John Terry to intervene before the Frenchman could pull the trigger.
But it was Kalou, who had earlier replaced Michael Essien, who made it 2-1 three minutes later when he drilled an unstoppable shot inside the post to beat Fulop.
Sunderland continued to battle gamely, with Phil Bardsley forcing another save from Cech with a long-range 83rd-minute attempt, but it was Cole who wrapped things up four minutes from time with a volleyed finish from the edge of the box.
Jones' 90th-minute header ensured a tense finale, but there was no way back for the Wearsiders.
Posts
