Premier League: Sunderland 1 Bolton 0

Sunderland leapfrogged Bolton into sixth place after a 1-0 win in a battle of the Premier League’s surprise packages on Saturday.

Both sides have exceeded expectations this season, and their current top-half berths have left them dreaming of European qualification.

Only two points separated the teams before kick-off and their parity was evident on the pitch in a fiercely contested clash with few chances. But Danny Welbeck’s 32nd-minute header was enough to settle matters.

On a day in which all but two of the Premier League fixtures were postponed because of snow, the game kicked off in glorious sunshine at the Stadium of Light.

But it looked as though both sides were feeling the effects of the cold in a dreary opening period devoid of goalmouth action.

Johan Elmander glanced a header wide while, at the other end, Darren Bent dragged a snap shot on the turn as both teams struggled to assume control.

However, it was Bent who was at the heart of Sunderland’s opener two minutes after the half-hour. The striker’s angled effort was palmed away by Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, but the rebound fell only as far as Welbeck who dived in to head home.

But even the goal was not enough to fire the game into life, and it was not until first-half stoppage time that either side forged another glimpse on goal.

Only the acrobatic heroics of Sunderland custodian Craig Gordon prevented Bolton from equalising through Zat Knight.

When a Martin Petrov corner was nodded back across the face of goal, the towering defender looked to tap home from close range, but his prodded effort was somehow clawed over the bar by the Gordon.

Bolton appeared to carry that momentum into the second half although, for a side who had hit 12 goals in their previous five games, they struggled to create proper chances.

Elmander drilled a shot straight at Gordon before his strike partner Kevin Davies followed suit shortly afterwards.

Sunderland went closest to grabbing the second goal of the game when on-loan striker Welbeck was picked out well by a neat Asamoah Gyan pull-back, but his effort slid just wide of the post.

Owen Coyle threw on strikers Ivan Klasnic and Rodrigo Moreno in a bid to snatch a late equaliser, though neither could force a way through.

Klasnic was guilty of wasting a flurry of late chances to equalise on what was ultimately a disappointing afternoon for Bolton.