DESPITE winning just once under his management, Sunderland's caretaker boss Kevin Ball has revealed a hunger and a desire to step into management.

What could be Ball's final game in charge of the Black Cats ended in defeat at Aston Villa yesterday when two lapses in concentration proved costly.

It means Sunderland's one season Premiership stay has yielded just three wins and that has equalled the unwanted record of the fewest victories in the highest league.

But Ball, who only took over in March after the sacking of Mick McCarthy, has not been put off the managerial game for life.

He is unlikely to be given the Sunderland job full-time, particularly if Niall Quinn is successful in his attempts to take over the club.

"It's not just whetted my appetite, it has soaked it," said Ball, who has repeatedly insisted he would love to take charge at the Stadium of Light.

But he did not have any excuses for Sunderland's failure to end the season with a win. Gareth Barry was afforded too much space to curl in the opening goal and then Liam Ridgewell made the points safe with a header.

"I don't really want to talk about Mick's time in charge but within the ten games I have been in charge, decision making has been such a fundamental part of why we could have been better," he said.

"We came out and started the game well but decision making let us down again. When you concede a penalty, Kelvin Davis saves it and then you concede from the corner, then that is the frustrating thing. If we cleared the corner I really felt we could have got more out of the game.

"Gareth Barry's first goal was also disappointing because we were in possession up the pitch and they broke and scored.

"Up until their goal we were quite comfortable. We created chances and the thing that let us down was our decision making - when to cross, when to shoot and when to keep the ball."

Ball revealed George McCartney's reason for going off in the 13th minute was a groin injury, while Stephen Caldwell followed him with a knee problem.

To add to that Tommy Miller suffered ankle ligament damage in the first half, but remained on the pitch and left the ground in a cast.

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