FOR a brief, distant moment in October, Hull were level with Liverpool and Chelsea at the top of the table, with 20 points from nine games.

With two wins out of 24 games subsequently, the Tigers are in danger of freefalling all the way back into the Championship. At the wrong stage of the season they are running out of ideas, goals and points – and they play Liverpool next. Djibril Cisse’s vital goal meant Sunderland were able to leapfrog them for the first time this season and, although they are not safe yet, Sunderland can breathe a little more easily than Hull’s manager, Phil Brown, and his players.

“There was a lot of pressure to win, but from a motivation point of view, it wasn’t a problem after what Phil Brown had said about our players underachieving this season,” said Ricky Sbragia, Sunderland’s manager. “He talked about the prices we have paid for players and what we have achieved, and his comments annoyed us. I didn’t need a team talk after that. We just played a video, spoke to the players briefly at half past 12 and stuck his comments up on the dressing-room wall.

“I don’t think we have underachieved at all and today the players gave their all and thoroughly deserved this win.”

With so much riding on the outcome, Hull played with the nervousness of a team who had shipped 55 goals in the Premier League. Sunderland rarely looked likely to be able to take advantage, though. Between them, strikers Kenwyne Jones and Cisse had scored only five goals since December. The ammunition was in short supply again, though their commitment was not.

Danny Collins epitomised Sunderland’s will to win, driving forward whenever he could and defending stoically, too. It was no shock when the full-back got his head to Andy Reid’s cross inside the penalty area in first-half stoppage time to set up the winning goal. The most stunning element was Cisse’s header at the back

post, which he placed beyond the reach of Boaz Myhill, the Hull goalkeeper.

When Craig Gordon, the Sunderland keeper, was called on, he was equal to the task, smothering a close-range header from Kevin Kilbane after Geovanni had whipped in a neat cross. Hull were impotent for the most part, showing plenty of endeavour without guile.

Sunderland enjoyed their best period in the first 15 minutes of the second half and had opportunities to double their lead. Jones flicked the ball on to Cisse straight from the restart and the French striker drew a fine save from Myhill with his powerful shot. Jones beat Myhill with a close-range header, but from an offside position. Had he or Cisse got a head to Grant Leadbitter’s cross, Myhill would have been beaten legitimately.

Hull striker Manucho was lucky to stay on the pitch when he stuck his head in Kieran Richardson’s face after the two had squared up. Then Sunderland substitute Daryl Murphy struck the post with an excellent shot on the turn in the dying moments.

“I thought Cisse scored from an offside position but I’m not going to harp on about it,” said Brown, and television replays seemed to back him up. “People have written us off against Liverpool next week already but I still feel we can scrap. The commitment was there today, it was just the quality in the final third which let us down. Write us off if you want. We have five big games to go and we’re still out of the bottom three.”

But heading in the wrong direction.

Star Man: Cisse (Sunderland)

Bookings: Sunderland: Cisse, Richardson. Hull: Turner, Kilbane.

SUNDERLAND:Gordon 7, Bardsley 6, Davenport 7, Ferdinand 6, Collins 7, Edwards 7 (Malbranque 78min), Leadbitter 6, Tainio 6, Reid 7 (Richardson 76min), Cisse 7 (Murphy 90min), Jones 5.
HULL CITY:Myhill 6, Ricketts 6, Zayatte 6, Turner 7, Dawson 6, Fagan 6, Geovanni 6 (Mendy 74min), Boateng 6 (Barmby 77min), Marney 6 (Folan 68min), Kilbane 7, Manucho 6.