Goals from Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse helped Sunderland secure a 2-1 win over Bolton.
Sunderland through to fourth round
Goals from Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse helped Sunderland through to the fourth round of the FA Cup at the expense of Bolton.
After an uninspiring performance from both sides, Jones - just before the hour mark - put in a giant leap to convert Kieran Richardson's free-kick.
Minutes later Cisse doubled that tally, after countless misfired shots, with an acrobatic finish from close range on the right-hand side of the penalty area.
Second-half substitute Ebi Smolarek looked to breathe life into the game for the Trotters when he netted just minutes after joining the pitch, albeit unintentionally.
His intended cross chipped over Sunderland's goalkeeper and into the back of the net but the visitors failed to build on that lifeline.
Untidy
The opening exchanges were untidy with neither side able to carve out any real chances.
It took until the 15th minute before either team had a sight of goal and when they did Jones scuffed his shot wide having been put in on the right by Richardson's through-ball.
However, chances were few and far between as too often blind passes were played straight to opponents, with Bolton in particular pumping long balls at the Sunderland defence rather than a team-mate.
In the 20th minute Carlos Edwards was given space to run into but with time to make a telling cross he drilled the ball into the near post and the danger was cleared.
Scrappy
Sunderland won their first corner in the 23rd minute but when El-Hadji Diouf's inswinging cross came through a crowd of players Ricardo Gardner was on hand to clear off the line.
Just before the half-hour mark Johan Elmander shot weakly at Marton Fulop having been put through by Fabrice Muamba, which typified the way the game had gone.
Laclustre
Right-back Pascal Chimbonda, who could be offloaded by Sunderland this month, spent most of the half complaining to his team-mates and generally looking disinterested.
A further example of the lack of quality on show came when Cisse latched on to Danny Collins' through-ball but poked wide from the left of the penalty area with only goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to beat.
Late in the half Matthew Taylor's 35-yard free-kick was saved low to his left by Fulop.
The start of the second half was not much better, with Dean Whitehead booked for diving just outside the Bolton box, much to the disgust of the home crowd who were expecting a free-kick.
Jlloyd Samuel's foul on Edwards moments later earned the Bolton defender a yellow card and gave Richardson a sight of goal 25 yards out.
The former Manchester United midfielder drilled his shot into the near post and won a corner, which Jones headed down and Gardner, for the second time in the match, cleared off the goalline.
Costly
Gretar Steinsson was booked for fouling Diouf wide on the left in the 57th minute and it proved costly for the visitors.
Richardson swung the ball in left-footed and when Jones met it with his head this time there was no-one to deny him on the line.
Just before the hour mark Kevin Nolan was booked for pulling back Edwards as Sunderland started to get the upper hand.
Edwards then fired an 18-yard shot off the top of the crossbar after a neat passing exchange - assisted by poor Bolton defending - between Richardson and Jones.
But in the 67th minute Cisse doubled the lead when he volleyed home Edwards' right-wing cross.
Richardson limped off in the 76th minute to be replaced by Teemu Tainio before, out of nowhere, Bolton got themselves back in the match three minutes later.
Substitute Smolarek, on for Kevin Davies, found himself in space wide on the right and his looping cross-cum-shot caught out Fulop as it dropped over the goalkeeper and inside the far post.
It sent up a frantic finish but Sunderland held on.
| Team Name |
Sunderland |
Bolton Wanderers |
| Possession |
57% |
43% |
| Goals |
2 |
1 |
| Shots On Target |
7 |
7 |
| Shots Off Target |
6 |
2 |
| Blocked Shots |
2 |
0 |
| Corners |
7 |
6 |
| Fouls Conceded |
10 |
12 |
| Offsides |
3 |
1 |
| Yellow Cards |
2 |
5 |
| Red Cards |
0 |
0 |
|
