SUNDERLAND 3, CHARLTON ATHLETIC 2

SUNDERLAND won their first Premiership game at the Stadium of Light since New Year's Day by completing a thrilling double over Charlton.

Peter Reid's men, still battling for a place in Europe,got off to a great start when Republic of Ireland winger Kevin Kilbane scored his second goal in successive games with a superb strike with the outside of his left foot from 18 yards in the 12th minute.

But the Londoners demonstrated their determination to go forward and were rewarded with an equaliser in the 18th minute when Mathias Svensson netted with a spectacular overhead kick.

The 47,671 crowd thrilled to a ding-dong battle, and when Niall Quinn scored with a six-yard header in the 20th minute and his striker partner Kevin Phillips got his first goal in six games five minutes after the break it looked all over for Charlton.

But the plucky Londoners stuck at it and pulled a goal back on the hour through Claus Jensen to set up a grand-stand finish. And their fighback almost brought another equaliser in the last minute but somehow substitute Kevin Lisbie contrived to head wide from inside tyhe six-yard box with the goal at his mercy.