UNFORTUNATELY for Mick McCarthy's beleaguered Sunderland side, pride remains the only thing left on the menu for today's Wear-Tyne derby.

But 23 years ago, on April 5, 1980 - Sunderland's last home win over Newcastle United - victory over their arch-rivals meant so much more to the Rokermen than just simply local bragging rights.

Both sides were chasing promotion to Division One, with defeat almost unthinkable to either side's top-flight aspirations.

Indeed, the importance of Stan Cummins' 73rd-minute winner in the race for promotion was not lost on either manager after the 106th Wear-Tyne derby.

While Ken Knighton proudly - and correctly - predicted that his players would show the necessary commitment and guts to finally achieve their promotion goal, his Newcastle counterpart Bill McGarry was left to reflect on an opportunity lost for the Magpies.

"We must try to win our last five matches and hope for a miracle," was McGarry's brutal assessment of his team's chances of making the top flight after seeing his side drop back to seventh place, a point behind their fierce rivals, who also had two games in hand.

But the bitter Magpies' boss could not resist having a pop at the "lucky" Rokermen, now well and truly in the driving seat for one of the promotion spots.

"It was the biggest travesty of justice I have ever known since I came into football.

"Sunderland are the luckiest side around; take away their back-four and they are nothing," he said.

Certainly the home side had mopped up anything the visiting Magpies had thrown at them, with central defenders Rob Hindmarch and Jeff Clarke particularly outstanding in front of the 41,752 crowd.

Newcastle had bossed the opening exchanges thanks primarily to Ireland international Tommy Cassidy, only to find their shooting prowess well below par when offered a fleeting sight of the home side's goal.

Such profligacy would ultimately be their downfall as Sunderland fought back bravely after the break.

Shrugging off McGarry's comments that Sunderland's victory owed more to good fortune than any kind of superiority, Knighton said: "I don't think we were lucky. It was always a game where one goal would win it - and we scored a good goal."

A good goal indeed it was as Cummins, a £300,00 signing from Middlesbrough, smashed the ball past the stranded Steve Hardwick in the Newcastle goal with his left foot after Bryan 'Pop' Robson had flicked on Kevin Arnott's right-wing centre.

Newcastle fought back, with full-back Ian Davies wasting a golden chance to level the scores in the dying minutes only to see his 12-yard effort hopelessly fly over the Sunderland bar.

Result: Sunderland 1 Newcastle United 0. April 5, 1980.