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HOW many times can they keep on doing this? For what seems like the umpteenth time already this season, Sunderland staged a great late show to steal three precious points.

Just as Michael Chopra had against Spurs on the first day of the season, Anthony Stokes grabbed a stoppage-time winner to transform a game that seemed to be heading for a tame draw.

The Republic of Ireland international hooked a close-range volley over his shoulder after Stephen Bywater had saved his initial strike and, in an instant, the memory of last weekend's dreadful surrender at Everton was erased.

advertisement In truth, the Black Cats barely deserved their winner as, for the previous 91 minutes, there had been nothing to choose between two sides scrapping for their lives at the wrong end of the table.

Yet Sunderland keep on pulling things from the fire, and their powers of survival could well prove crucial in the final reckoning.

Their defending will be equally important of course and, after imploding at Goodison Park seven days ago, the Black Cats rediscovered their mettle against Paul Jewell's Rams.

Darren Ward performed creditably as he replaced £9m man Craig Gordon - the first-half save that turned Kenny Miller's low drive against the base of the left-hand post was especially notable - and Paul McShane and Danny Higginbotham both went some way towards repairing the reputations that took such a battering seven days ago.

Creativity was lacking, though, and while Kenwyne Jones also struck the woodwork before the break, the Black Cats rarely looked like making a breakthrough.

Never say never with Sunderland though and, after Bywater had saved from Jones and Stokes, the latter struck to send the Stadium of Light into ecstasy.

6:59pm Saturday 1st December 2007

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