SUNDERLAND'S long-suffering fans are accepting their side's apparent fate with unique equanimity.

Rarely, if ever, will you see supporters of a seemingly-condemned team indulge in the type of gallows humour witnessed at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

The noose is tightening and the relegation trapdoor awaits.

Yet the red-and-white legions kept themselves amused during the second half with a Mexican Wave which created a perverse carnival atmosphere.

Well, when your side have acquired an unwanted Premiership record by scoring THREE own goals in the space of seven first-half minutes, you have to laugh, don't you?

Howard Wilkinson has never been one renowned for seeing the funny side (though some would say he sees a funny side play every week) and Sunderland's parlous position is certainly no laughing matter.

But the Black Cats' manager marvelled at the irrepressible nature of the vast majority of the Wearside faithful.

Admittedly, as Sunderland went about inflicting defeat on themselves in the most bizarre passage of football imaginable, a handful of fans ventured down to the dug-out to aim a tirade of foul-mouthed abuse at the man brought in to succeed the sacked Peter Reid in October.

Police and stewards had to step in and a few of the disaffected were ejected. Wilkinson, standing only yards away, would have heard every word that took his name in vain.

But he preferred to dwell on the remarkable passion and patience of the masses, maintaining - despite the wretched result - that such backing has finally helped to rid his players of their fear of performing at home.

"I think the fans started before the players did in this game,'' said Wilkinson.

"I have heard a lot about the support here, but this was the first time I have experienced it and now I understand what people meant when they talked about the support that has been here in the past.

"I've never seen a game where there were three own goals.

"But even after the first half, I knew we could come off at the end knowing we'd got that monkey off our backs about playing at the Stadium of Light.

"We were helped by the fans, and despite the bad luck, we didn't capitulate. I saw a change in the players in this game; from the first minute, I thought they were really tackling the problem of playing here.''

Publicly at least, Wilkinson insists the "positives'' to which he referred have strengthened his belief that his side will escape the eighth relegation in Sunderland's history.

This defeat was the eighth they have suffered at home in the League this season - they have only scored as many goals in the right end in the process - and it dropped them to the bottom of the table, five points adrift of a position of safety.

But Wilkinson said: "I don't accept the inevitability of relegation that has been thrown at me. I genuinely think we'll get out of it.

"We'll see when we play Blackburn here in the FA Cup on Wednesday, how damaging psychologically it is for us to be bottom.

"But I would back the players to surprise people now.''

Wilkinson is equally convinced that Michael Proctor, who endured the indignity of putting the ball into his own net twice, will re-emerge a stronger character for the painful experience.

Local product Proctor, 22, has proved to be Sunderland's discovery of the season, having scored four goals - against opponents that is - before the carnage of this game.

Wilkinson said: "Michael is a Sunderland boy, he's supported the club here and at Roker Park. It's his dream to play for the club; he's the genuine stuff of Roy of the Rovers and he cares.

"It was just ironic that it had to be Michael. He's a kid and he's out there in probably the toughest of men's worlds, fighting at the bottom of the table, and I wish it hadn't happened to him.

"But he'll deal with it. After what happened, he never shirked anything and didn't hide. As a consequence, I think he'll be a bigger person when he deals with what happened here.''

Proctor had the courage to face the TV cameras and say: "I think I must have run over a black cat!

"You'd be very unlucky to concede three own goals in a season, but three in seven minutes is unbelievable.''

This calamitous episode began in the 25th minute when Charlton skipper Mark Fish fired goalward following a corner and the ball struck Tore Andre Flo then flicked off the foot of Stephen Wright as it flew in.

South African Fish tried to claim it with a Klinsmann-like dive in front of the dug-outs, but who was he kidding?

Three minutes later, left-back Chris Powell was allowed to advance deep into the Sunderland penalty area and when his shot was blocked by goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, the ball rebounded off the leg of the unfortunate Proctor and squeezed in at the near post.

Then, in the 32nd minute, Sorensen tipped over Shaun Bartlett's header and from the resultant corner by Claus Jensen, the ball somehow found its way through a forest of legs, Proctor made the fatal mistake of turning his back on play - and his shoulder blades inadvertently provided the cutting edge.

Some fans immediately made for the exits, but there was no escape; stewards stopped them leaving because the gates were locked until the start of the second half.

Those who chose to remain to the near-bitter end at least had something to cheer - Kevin Phillips' first successful penalty in five attempts.

Phillips, who vowed he would never take another spot-kick after failing to convert for the fourth time in a row in the 1-0 home defeat by Everton in August, beat Dean Kiely ten minutes from time following a foul by Jonathan Fortune on Flo.

But this game, like the agonising 4-4 play-off final epic against Charlton at Wembley almost five years ago - when Michael Gray's shoot-out failure cost Sunderland promotion - was another encounter with the Addicks the whole of Wearside will always remember for all the wrong reasons.

Result: Sunderland 1 Charlton Athletic 3.

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