McCarthy: ‘fear spurred us to victory’

DerBy Ross Heppenstall

Ireland’s Stephen Elliott and Dean Whitehead struck second half goals to secure victory for a Sunderland side who had collected just four points from their previous four matches.

Defeat for the Black Cats would have raised the prospect of a two-horse race emerging between Ipswich and Wigan - a point McCarthy made to his players before kick-off.