THE determination and belief in the Sunderland camp that they can somehow defy the odds and escape an immediate return to the Championship remains intact, according to defender Steve Caldwell.

The Black Cats begin the second half of their Premier League spell boasting just six points - one victory and three draws from their opening 19 games.

They visit Fulham today and go into 2006 13 points adrift of safety. To stand any realistic chance of survival the Wearsiders must win more than half of their remaining games.

A seemingly near-impossible task for a side struggling for confidence, but while there is a mathematical chance they can stay up then, according to Caldwell, the players will fight for every point.

"I don't think we're losing hope," said the 25-year-old Scotland international. "There's still more than enough games to get the required points to keep us in the league.

"But obviously our task is becoming more and more difficult as we lose games and we don't pick up points.

"We just have to shrug it off as quickly as we can and get ready for the game on Monday against Fulham.

"We played pretty well against Bolton - a tough side that get results off a lot of teams. We matched them and it could have gone either way. We got a draw, a clean sheet and it was important to carry that on.

"We dominated Everton in the second half, created chances and one in particular Nigel Martyn save (from Anthony Le Tallec) that I remember was superb.

"We couldn't quite get the goal we deserved and then to lose a sickening goal right at the end.

"I don't know how we'll improve performances but we seem to be rallying and that's what we are going to do until May."

The long wait for a home Premiership win - now standing at 21 games - continues after a depressing late Tim Cahill goal condemned the Black Cats to their 15th league defeat of the season after dominating Everton for long periods after the break.

The Stadium of Light crowd gave enthusiastic backing to Mick McCarthy's side and Caldwell admitted the players are desperate for a home win as much for the fans as for the players.

Caldwell said: "I thought the fans were fantastic. They really got behind us and they could see the effort and commitment we put into the game.

"We really want to get that first win at home for them but it wasn't to be. I don't know why we got our win away from home or why we score more goals away from home.

"Maybe it's because teams have to come out and play a bit more against us when they're in our stadium."

The disappointment of Saturday's defeat was magnified coming against a Toffees side almost as low on confidence as the Wearsiders.

"It was a game we should have won on play and it was very important for us being against a club near the bottom and a side that we're trying to catch up with so it's very disappointing," said Caldwell. "It's a game we dominated and we should have got three points. But we didn't manage to get a goal so we'd take a point and then we lose a goal late on from a set play and we come away with nothing.

"We have to get over this, we have to shrug it off and prepare ourselves for another game against a side that's down near us (Fulham).

"We really have to pick up three points and more importantly we really have to give 100 per cent and do ourselves justice.

"We did today (against Everton) but we didn't get the result, but if we keep playing like that then the results will come."