SUNDERLAND did enough to preserve their Premiership status when they drew their final home game 1-1 with already relegated Derby County.

Liverpool's 5-0 demolition of third-bottom Ipswich Town meant that the Wearsiders were safe anyway and it was only a pity that Peter reid's men did not finish their programme with a victory they deserved in front of a 47,989 crowd.

Sunderland could have been four up at the break but went in with only one goal to show for their efforts, and that was a little bizarre. Kevin Phillips, put clear by Niall Quinn, seemed to have lost the initiative in the 17th minute when he hesitated on the edge of the box, but former Newcastle fullback Warren Barton gave the ball back to the former England man, who slotted home his 13th goal of the season.

Phillips might have had a first half hat-trick but inspired Derby keeper Mart Poom made a brilliant one-handed save to deny him in the 41st minute and a minute later Phillips had desperate luck when he put a right foot volley against the underside of the bar, only to see the ball rebound to safety.

Sunderland looked nervy after the break and there was a scare when a header from centre-back Danny Higginbotham flashed just wide before Derby equalised in the 68th minute through substitute Marv Robinson.

Sunderland almost regained the lead three minutes later when Kevin Kilbane beat the Derby offside trap, only to shoot at Poom and the Estonian saved Derby again in the 77th minute when he kept out a close-range header from substitute Patrick Mboma.