CHRIS MAGUIRE was delighted to see Sunderland end their Portsmouth hoodoo tonight – but the Black Cats’ semi-final match winner admits it is only a case of a job half-done.

Maguire’s second-half strike means the Black Cats will take a 1-0 lead to Fratton Park for Thursday’s decisive second leg.

Tonight’s win was Sunderland’s first over Portsmouth this season, and it came at the fourth time of asking, with the Black Cats having recorded a defeat and a draw in the league, and lost on penalties in the final of the Checkatrade Trophy.

Maguire said: “It’s a battle of who wants it. We felt we were due and owed them one. It’s halfway done and a step in the right direction.”

The forward climbed off the substitutes’ bench to replace Lewis Morgan, with his match-winning strike coming just five minutes after he came on to the field.

He said: “It’s given us the vital win we needed. I was disappointed not to start but that’s the depth we’ve got. I knew I would take my chance if it came.”

Aside from Maguire’s winning goal, the game’s other major incident saw Alim Ozturk controversially dismissed for a foul on Gareth Evans.

Sunderland will appeal against referee Andy Woolmer’s decision to dismiss Ozturk even though Evans appeared to be running away from goal, with Jimmy Dunne adamant it was a wrong call.

Dunne came on to the field in the wake of Ozturk’s departure, and helped Sunderland see things out to claim a victory.

Dunne said: “It shouldn’t have been a red card. There were other players crowding around the ball, so I felt Alim was really unlucky.

“It’s more about concentration coming on at the end., I was just happy to be part of getting half the job done.

“I’m happy I got something on the free-kick (when Evans’ set-piece strike hit the crossbar). Little inches like that have come to cost us in the past, but we’ve got a bit of luck this time.”