Sunderland inch closer to safety

Sunderland took a small step towards Premier League safety but were left to rue a series of missed chances after drawing 0-0 at mid-table Bolton on Saturday.

The result leaves Ricky Sbragia’s side five points above the relegation zone with two games to play, although second-bottom Middlesbrough and third-bottom Newcastle – who meet on Monday – both have a game in hand.

Bolton are not yet mathematically safe from the drop, but they need just one point from their final two games to preserve their top-flight status.

Sunderland sprang out of the traps, with Kieran Richardson and Grant Leadbitter both going close before Richardson spurned a superb chance to break the deadlock by side-footing over from 10 yards after being teed up by Kenwyne Jones.

The visitors then had a strong penalty appeal rejected when full-back Phil Bardsley tumbled over a challenge by Jlloyd Samuel in the Bolton box.

The Black Cats continued to dominate, with Richardson twice going close again before half-time – first shooting over and then being denied by a fine challenge from Grant McCann.

Bolton showed greater ambition in the second period, with substitute Mark Davies volleying over from Kevin Davies’s knock-down while Mustapha Riga was inches away with a shot that bounced narrowly over the bar.

Defender Gary Cahill then drew a fine save from Marton Fulop with an injury-time header, but Bolton couldn’t muster the breakthrough that would have rubber-stamped their survival for another year.