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AS far as analysing this sorry fixture goes, perhaps it would be better for this short article to stop here.

There can have been few, if any, matches in the Premier League that have been worse than this. It really was that bad, even if there was a late flurry of goalmouth action.

Perhaps the stakes were too high for these two teams and the pressure got to both sets of players. Otherwise it is a struggle to come up with the reasons for such a dire afternoon's football.

Derby, bottom of the top-flight, showed exactly why they are in such a perilous position, but Sunderland failed to make the most of their opponents' low standard.

If a relegation place had fallen on Sunderland after this dreadful display then noone on Wearside could argue. While the Rams struggled to keep possession, the Black Cats were guilty of wasting ball in equal measure.

Sunderland will rightly point to the fact that Michael Chopra's first half goal should not have been ruled out for offside and that Darren Moore deserved to be sent off for two deliberate fouls.

In truth, though, neither of these sides warranted the three points. The only saving grace for Roy Keane and his men is that Sunderland avoided setting a new club record of 11 straight league away defeats.

5:52pm Saturday 1st March 2008

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