Riggott's double dims the Light

The League's lowest scorers at home played host to the team who had scored fewest on their travels, and between them they featured in a four-goal feast.

This Wear-Tees local derby was settled by three goals from the former Derby duo of Malcolm Christie and Chris Riggott, who are now employed by Middlesbrough. Bottom club Sunderland managed only one as they slumped to their 17th defeat this season, and ever closer to the Nationwide, following a defensive display that would shame a lower-division club.

"I am not stupid. I know where we are: bottom of the table," said a sombre Sunderland manager, Howard Wilkinson. "But I can't allow myself to contemplate relegation. I have only to think that we can get out of this trouble so long as we have the games and points to play for. For me to start talking publicly about the consequences would invite the players to think that somewhere in the back of my mind I think it can happen, and then it will become a self-fulfilling prophesy.''

The first 20 minutes were fought out in a local-derby hothouse that propagated little.Middlesbrough's manager, Steve McClaren, was so furious at the barrenness before him that he stormed out of his dug-out, slammed his water bottle into the ground and gave young full-back Stuart Parnaby a vivid earful for two misplaced passes. "Use your head,'' he gesticulated.

It worked. Parnaby's thoughtful short ball started Middlesbrough's next move rolling, and it ended with Christie winning Middlesbrough's first corner. Geremi took it, found Christie on the edge of the area and Thomas Sorensen saved his header superbly. But the ball bounced forward and Riggott reacted first inside the six-yard box, ramming home Middlesbrough's sixth away goal.

Less than 10 minutes later Riggott had his second. It came from Middlesbrough's second corner, which Jon-athan Greening returned on to Michael Ricketts' chest. Gareth Southgate volleyed the dropping ball on to the post and the rebound found Riggott staring at an empty net.

Sunderland were shattered and Middlesbrough were heading for their first away win in 10 attempts as glaring holes opened up in Sunderland's alleged rearguard.

Of all the home players on view, only Kevin Phillips tried to vent the fury pouring down from the stands. He did so in the 56th minute when, well-policed 25 yards out, he saw a chink and let fly. His ninth goal of the season clinked unerringly in off the post – and was only the ninth time Sunderland had scored at home.

Super Kev, urged on from the stands, tried to take on Middlesbrough single-handedly. He illegally butted the ball out of Mark Schwarzer's hands and then dropped deep in his overenthusiastic search for an equaliser. But his presence seemed to unnerve team-mate Kevin Kilbane, who limply passed to his goalkeeper.

It didn't reach. Christie scampered in; Kilbane held his head in shame; and the £3.5m striker, on his first Middlesbrough start, rolled home his first Middlesbrough goal.

"After Kevin's fantastic goal I was starting to think that not just a draw but a victory was possible,'' said Wilkinson. "We started to pass the ball and play with a lot more confidence, but at the moment just when we come alive it's as if someone says don't get too happy too soon, and then bang."

And bang, it was indeed all over for Sunderland, as is their season. The fog rolled in off the North Sea, prematurely dimming the Stadium of Light, and leaving the huge crowd – 42,123 – with an awful lot to fret about.

Sunderland 1
Phillips 56

Middlesbrough 3
Riggott 21, 28, Christie 59

Half-time: 0-2 Attendance: 42,134