Cole's firepower too hot for Sunderland

It was just like the good old days at the Stadium of Light yesterday. There was no Leonard Sachs, banging his gavel, but for the long-suffering locals there was a rousing, rumbustious home performance to behold. Taking their lead from England's second-half show at the Wearside ground on Wednesday night, Sunderland produced a Premiership display full of verve and vigour. Unfortunately for them, it wasn't quite enough to avoid another defeat, and an unwanted record.

Shrugging off eight months of lethargy, Sunderland played with all the fighting qualities of a Mick McCarthy side. The Premiership makeweights led from the 12th minute, courtesy of a brilliant Sean Thornton volley, and for much of an absorbing encounter they were more than a match for opponents who appear bound for the Champions' League. Ultimately, though, it was Chelsea's superior class that won the day, Gianfranco Zola scoring the equaliser seven minutes into the second half and setting up Carlton Cole for the winner five minutes from time.

It was a ninth successive league defeat for Sunderland, equalling a 26-year-old club record, but it was a moral victory for McCarthy and his side. "In terms of turning things around, that's a benchmark we can work from," Sunderland's manager-of-a-month enthused. "Claudio Ranieri has just told me he thought he was playing Real Madrid in the first half. That's maybe looking through rose-tinted glasses but I think we didn't deserve to be beaten today."

McCarthy sent out a team with three strikers – Kevin Phillips, Kevin Kyle and Marcus Stewart – and they attacked Chelsea from the start. They might have taken the lead in the third minute but when Phillips unleashed a drive from 20 yards Carlo Cudicini dived full-length to push the ball around the post. As it was, the breakthrough came in the 12th minute. Kyle's cross from wide on the left was only partially cleared to Thornton, who rifled a left-foot volley past Cudicini from the edge of the area. It was a cracking finish by the spiky midfielder with the spiky bottle-blond hair and it had the Sunderland fans roaring in celebration, and in good humour. "One-nil to the Nationwide," they chorused.

It was very nearly 2-0 six minutes later. From Thornton's right-wing corner, Kyle headed the ball towards the far post and Stewart swept a shot wide from close range. Chelsea had yet to show their attacking colours at that stage, approaching the midway point in the first half, but a minute later Graeme Le Saux crossed from deep on the left and Thomas Sorensen had to sprint to the edge of his area to thwart Zola. Sunderland, however, finished the half on top, Stewart flashing a header a foot wide of Cudicini's goal.

McCarthy's men were accorded a standing ovation at the interval and they were back on the attack from the start of the second half. Unfortunately for them, so were Chelsea. It was end-to-end stuff, Sorensen pushing wide a Zola rasping shot, Cudicini keeping out a Gavin McCann drive and Sorensen scrambling low to clutch a Frank Lampard grasscutter. In the 52nd minute, though, there was no stopping Chelsea. William Gallas hoisted a cross from deep on the left and Cole, a half-time replacement for Enrique de Lucas, headed the ball back to Zola, whose low drive was deflected on its way into the net off the legs of Talal El Karkouri.

It could have been worse for Sunderland a minute later but Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink used an arm as he bundled the ball past Sorensen on a lightning quick break. Not that Sunderland's resolve ever weakened. Far from it. It took another excellent Cudicini save to keep out a dipping McCann volley. But then, with five minutes remaining, the sucker punch was delivered.

It came via the scheming Zola, whose quick ball across the face of the Sunderland penalty area was fed back by Hasselbaink to Cole, who turned smartly to fire a left-foot drive past Sorensen. There was still time for Thornton to clip the outside of a post with a free-kick but the net result was another Premiership defeat for Sunderland. At least, this time, it was a fighting one.

Sunderland 1
Thornton 12

Chelsea 2
Zola 52, Cole 85

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 40,011