DANNY Collins last night hit back at Arsenal striker Thierry Henry and insisted his Sunderland team-mates were out of their depth rather than out of control.

Henry accused Sunderland's players of "kicking the man rather than the ball" in the second half of Monday's 3-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light.

In particular, the Frenchman took exception to a stoppage-time tackle from Dan Smith that left his countryman, Abou Diaby, nursing a fractured and dislocated ankle that will keep him out of this month's Champions League final with Barcelona.

The challenge was undoubtedly mistimed but, despite vehement protests from the Gunners, Collins has insisted it was not malicious.

And, while the defender is honest enough to admit that the Black Cats lack the class needed to compete in the Premiership, he claims their attitude is beyond reproach.

"There's more to Sunderland than kicking people," said Collins, whose steady improvement has been one of the few success stories in an otherwise calamitous campaign.

"I don't think Thierry Henry can have seen too many of our games this season because we're not a side that just lumps players around the park.

"We've tried to play football throughout the season. Even though things haven't gone too well for us, we haven't stopped trying to get the ball down.

"You can't stand off and allow Arsenal to play. You have to compete and earn the right to play football against a side as good as that.

"You have to match them physically and, on the whole, I thought we did that.

"To be honest, when their goals went in, I thought that was the only time in the game when we didn't get amongst them.

"We're not a dirty side - we're a physical side who like that part of the game. We go in for tackles if there are tackles there to be won."

Nevertheless, Smith's challenge passed beyond the bounds of acceptability. The 19-year-old had only been on the pitch for 25 minutes when he leapt over the top of the ball to catch Diaby with both studs showing.

Crucially, it is not the first time that the youngster's temperament has been questioned this season. He was sent off on his senior debut against Cheltenham in September and conceded a penalty within three minutes of coming off the bench to make his second appearance, ironically against Arsenal.

Yet while Monday's misadventure will have done little to enhance his reputation, Collins insists it would be wrong to cast the defender as a thug.

"I know Dan quite well and he's not that sort of player," he said. "He's not going to go into a tackle trying to do someone. He's gone for the ball and the lad's got there a yard sharper than him. Unfortunately, he's caught him.

"Dan's a nice-natured lad. He's going to go in for a tackle if there's a ball there to be won, and that's what he did.

"I think Bally (caretaker manager Kevin Ball) would have had a few words to say if he hadn't gone in for that ball. It was there to be won, unfortunately the Arsenal player got there a yard or so ahead of Dan. That can happen in football."

The incident capped another miserable day for the Black Cats, with a 28th defeat of the season finally confirming their status as the worst side in Premiership history.

Another unwanted record will tumble tomorrow if Fulham avoid defeat at the Stadium of Light, thus condemning Sunderland to an entire top-flight season without a single home win.

More than 30,000 fans are expected to turn out to witness the penultimate game of a disastrous season, a statistic that piles further shame on to the club's under-performing players.

"We have one more home game and it would be nice to give something back to the fans," said Collins.

"We've had a core of 30,000 all season and we know we need to repay that loyalty with a win.

"There were 44,000 people here (against Arsenal) and after everything that's happened, that's incredible.

"People love their football up here - you get the following through thick and thin."

The only positive to emerge from Monday's game was confirmation that a consortium led by former Sunderland striker Niall Quinn are in the final stages of takeover discussions with chairman Bob Murray.

"Niall popped into the changing room a few minutes before the game and said a few words to the lads," revealed Collins.

"I don't want to say too much of what he said, but he came down and told us a few things.

"I think him being here gave everyone a lift.

"There's been a lot of pressure on Bob Murray this season and I think everyone has needed a bit of something to lift their spirits."

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