Bent - Short chat helped

Bent: Owner's chat helped

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Sunderland hat-trick hero Darren Bent believes a pre-match chat by owner Ellis Short helped the Black Cats beat Bolton.

The Texan businessman was in the stands as Sunderland beat the Trotters 4-0 at the Stadium of Light to end their 14-game wait for a league victory.

Before the game, Short had bumped into manager Steve Bruce on the pitch and then visited the players to pass on his best wishes.

He was at the game ahead of a meeting with Bruce and chairman Naill Quinn to discuss the way forward on Wednesday.

Bent said: "He came into the changing room before the game and said, 'Hi, I'm Ellis Short', and I think a few of the players were cringing and thinking, 'Crikey, we had better do something tonight'.

Produced

"But everyone went out there and produced really, really well from back to front. We played as a team, played like we were playing at the start of the season and we got our rewards.

"A lot of people had said, 'Imagine if you lose or if you don't get the right result', but to be fair, none of the players in the changing room were thinking negatively.

"We were just thinking about going forward and getting the job done, and luckily enough, we did."

The hat-trick saw Bent take his tally for the season to 19 to enhance his claims for inclusion in England boss Fabio Capello's World Cup squad.

Keeping grounded

Bruce has backed Bent to make the squad but the striker himself is keeping his feet on the ground.

He said: "It's going to be tough, but at the same time, I think there is only Wayne Rooney who has scored more goals than me now in the England squad.

"If I get the selection, I will be delighted; if not, then I will just have to move on."