ENGLAND striker Kevin Phillips yesterday inspired a Sunderland fightback which hoisted the Wearsiders back into third place in the Premiership, level on points with Arsenal, at the Stadium of Light.

It was Sunderland's fifth consecutive home victory and they owed much to the form of Phillips.

He scored his 12th goal of the season to put his team in front then laid on a third goal for strike-partner Danny Dichio just to make sure of the points to leapfrog over a hard-working Ipswich side.

The goal of the game, however, came from winger Julio Arca, who signed off from his duties at Sunderland before joining Argentina for a month-long FIFA Under-21 World Cup qualifying campaign in Ecuador, with a breathtaking freekick to equalise.

Sunderland were caught cold in the fourth minute by a lightning break by Ipswich.

Fullback Fabian Wilnis stabbed the ball up the right for Matt Holland and the Town skipper fed a lovely pass through to Marcus Stewart, who beat the Sunderland offside trap to clip a sharp right-foot shot past Thomas Sorensen, looking in vain for a flag.

The early setback shocked Sunderland and silenced the fans, providing Ipswich with a great confidence boost after weathering a couple of tentative opening attacks.

Sunderland, who made three changes from the side which battled back to win a commendable point at Arsenal, tried hard to put pressure on their opponents' goal.

Phillips was lining up a shot just outside the area when he was fouled by Titus Bramble. Don Hutchison tried his luck, but the shot flew high over the bar.

Phillips cleverly beat the central defender in the 15th minute but as he shot he was challenged by Wilnis and the effort travelled over.

Sunderland were being allowed very little time on the ball and Ipswich looked more assured going forward, Stewart dummying nicely for Holland to line up a shot which was well blocked by the alert Emerson Thome, back in the side after a one-match suspension.

Stewart was booked in the 23rd minute for a rash challenge which angered the crowd and left Gavin McCann requiring treatment near the halfway line.

But Sunderland delighted the fans when they equalised with a great goal from Arca.

Dichio, making his first Premiership start for Sunderland, had been pushed just outside the penalty area and Arca curled a superbly flighted left-foot free-kick into the top corner of the net from 20 yards, giving goalkeeper Richard Wright no chance

Ipswich reacted positively and Stewart put a glancing header wide in the 28th minute following a curling free-kick on the left.

Ipswich forced the first corner of the game in the 34th minute and Bramble was booked for deliberately palming the ball into the net as the flag-kick reached the middle.

Hutchison showed some clever footwork under pressure on the edge of the Ipswich penalty area, but a right foot shot was charged down and a corner on the right came to nothing as Thome was penalised for pushing.

Sunderland should have taken the lead in the 43rd minute when Phillips cleverly exchanged passes with Hutchison, only to blast a right foot shot over the bar from 15 yards - a great chance.

But it wasn't as bad as the opportunity missed by Dichio in the 49th minute.

The big striker was put completely clear by Phillips on the corner of the six-yard box, but he fired his low shot straight at the legs of Wright and the effort rebounded clear.

Fullback Wilnus protested that Dichio had been offside and was booked for dissent.

Sunderland continued to press but were making too many mistakes with their passing, and the home supporters in the 46,053 crowd weren't too happy about it.

But they were delighted when Sunderland took the lead in the 57th minute through Phillips.

A long

ball upfield from Jody Craddock was flicked on by the head of Dichio and Phillips was on it in a flash, striding on confidently to stick a low right-foot shot past the stranded Wright.

Sunderland went further ahead in the 63rd minute through Dichio after superb skill by Phillips.

The little striker held off the challenge of Hreidarsson and unselfishly laid on the simplest of chances for his strike partner, who side-footed the ball home from eight yards.

Sunderland were well on top, but Ipswich manager George Burley kept complaining from the touchline that the home side was time wasting.

Ipswich tried hard to get back into the game and Sorensen did well to hold a dangerous left wing centre from Stewart.

But Sunderland looked as though they had the points in the bag and manager Peter Reid made three tactical substitutions, with Darren Williams, Stanislav Varga and Stefan Schwarz replacing McCann, Craddock and Arca.

Ipswich defender Mark Venus was fortunate to get away with only a yellow card in the 78th minute when he fouled Phillips, who was on a clear run to goal.

But Sunderland claimed a fourth goal through Schwarz in the 88th minute when the Swedish international met a right wing centre from Rae to beat Wright with a left-foot shot