SUNDERLAND, on a high after four consecutive League victories, were brought down with a bump by one of the Premiership's better sides.

The table might show Leeds United trailing four points below the Wearsiders, but on this form David O'Leary's Champions League side will soon be battling it out for a top-three placing.

It is now 39 years since Sunderland managed to win at Elland Road, and on Saturday they never really produced the form which was needed to break a sorry sequence - and the margin of defeat could have been greater but for the agility of goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen and some gritty defending in the face of penetrating attacking play by a team certainly on the up.

Leeds, without doubt, are in a false League position after a season beset by injuries and a relieved O'Leary said: "For the first time this season I have seen the way I know we can play and hopefully we will get a kick-on in the Premier League at last."

Sunderland did not play particularly well and were second best for most of the game, though manager Peter Reid was not too unhappy with the performance.

He said: "I thought it was an excellent game of football between two good sides - they took their chances and we didn't.

"But I thought we did enough to get something out of the game."

It was apparent early on that Sunderland were going to have problems with Leeds' leading scorer, Mark Viduka, and Brazilian defender Emerson Thome was given his hardest test since his record £4.5m transfer from Chelsea.

He stuck manfully to his task, but fell foul of referee Rob Styles with some of his challenges, and could feel fortunate not to have been shown a red card in the second half when he was forced to bring down the Australian for the umpteenth time.

Viduka, big and powerful, had a hand in Leeds' opening goal when his pass forward seemed to strike central defender Jody Craddock on the shin before travelling on in the 23rd minute for Lee Bowyer to put away a low right-foot shot.

Viduka was always likely to score and he claimed his 13th goal of the season with a powerful 12-yard header in the 76th minute when he found himself free in front of goal to meet a right-wing centre from fellow countryman Harry Kewell.

Before this Sunderland had two escapes within a minute when Viduka had a vicious shot saved at point blank range by Sorensen and Norwegian midfielder Erik Bakke hit the post with an enterprising back-heeler as Leeds threatened to run riot.

Sunderland, in contrast, blew hot and cold, and the supply to strikers Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips was never of the same quality of that provided for their opposite numbers.

Quinn, however, missed a great chance to equalise in the 28th minute when he lifted a right foot shot over the bar from eight yards after a good head-down from Phillips.

Quinn didn't have the happiest of afternoons, coming off a decided second-best to £18m central defender Rio Ferdinand, who capped a fine game by blocking a great chance which fell to the Irishman before Leeds' second goal.

Phillips - the subject of persistent transfer speculation linking him with Leeds in recent months - only had one decent chance to get his name on the score sheet, but a fierce left foot shot was blocked by Bowyer just before half time.

Sunderland once again earned full marks for effort, but there is still a need for more quality from the midfield if Phillips and Quinn are to start troubling defences like they did last season.

The Wearsiders, backed all the way by their vociferous fans, did stage a late rally when Danny Dichio, who came on for Quinn, headed against the bar and the tricky Julio Arca fired over after having a shot charged down.

But Leeds, with Kewell and former England man David Batty back in the fray, were well worth their victory and look set for a climb up the table.

l Coventry winger Steve Froggatt has ended his silence and slammed the tackle by Sunderland's Nicky Summerbee which has left him sidelined for nearly a year.

Froggatt had recently broken into the England squad when he was on the receiving end of a challenge from Summerbee in last February's Premiership encounter at Highfield Road.

It left him with a serious ankle injury which is still a long way from being cured and the former Aston Villa and Wolves player is to undergo another operation.

And Froggatt, 27, is aware that is surgery does not prove successful then he could face another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

He has retained a diplomatic silence over the challenge by Summerbee and restricted himself to saying he was ''disappointed'' until now.

Froggatt said: ''It was a bad, bad tackle and everyone in the ground could see that at the time.

''I thought it was shocking and it's something that will have kept me out of action for a year.

''This is someone's livelihood we are talking about. There's been no contact between us or even an apology.

''I can't really say any more than that but this could not have been timed worse for me. The whole year has been an absolute disaster.''

Froggatt added: ''I've got to have another operation and if I go into hospital and everything is straightforward then I can get on with getting fit again.

''But if they find something else in there, then I don't know when I will be back. It's been so frustrating for me and I'd like to think I'd still have been in contention for an England place particularly as the last squad (against Italy) was full of under 30s."