Alan Johnston's excellent strike 6 minutes from time won the home side the points after Pompey had been the better team in the second half. The result puts Pompey back into trouble and things were made worse with Tranmere and Stoke winning. The loss also brought Pompey's impressive run of seven games unbeaten to an end in a game they fought so hard in to get something. A draw would have been a very could result but Sunderland gave their promotion chances a huge boost when Johnston struck.
Alan Ball made a surprise decision by dropping leading marksman John Aloisi to the subs bench with Paul Hall taking his place up front. There was no place for Mathias Svensson either as Ball went with a rather defensive formation. David Waterman came in to man mark Sunderland's dangerous midfielder Lee Clark. Jimmy Carter returned as a substitute. Pompey's odds of winning were against them with Sunderland having not lost at home since September with only two clubs having taken all three points away.
Pompey were under immediate pressure but Sunderland couldn't make anything of their early possession. On 4 minutes Pompey got in the first effort when a McLoughlin cross bounced out of the box to Whitbread who fired in a shot way over the bar. Sunderland got in a couple of long range efforts minutes later through Rae and Makin which Flahavan dealt with well. Then Quinn got into the area and his fine low cross missed everyone in the box as Pompey breathed a sigh of relief.
In the 16th minute Sunderland took the lead after some good work down their left. Johnston played a return ball to Gray and the wing-back's cross was a good one which Phillips rose well to head past Flahavan. That was the striker's 26th goal of the season after Peter Reid had paid a modest 600,000 for him in the summer.
Against Middlesbrough Adrian Whitbread was so commanding and he was playing well again in the heat of the fantastic Stadium of Light. He was doing a great job on Quinn who only a few weeks ago scored a hat-trick. Credit must also go to the Pompey fans who were amazingly out signing the large home faithful.
Flahavan saved another Rae shot before Vlachos at the other end just couldn't get on the end of a Hillier cross. In the 30th minute Perez in Sunderland's goal had to make a double save after Pompey eventually got a couple shots in on target. Hall whipped the ball off a dithering Holloway before finding Vlachos who fed Hillier into the area. The midfielder's shot packed a punch which Perez could only parry out to McLoughlin on the edge of the area and his low shot was also saved by the keeper.
Disaster then struck for Pompey when Vlachos fell on his ankle and had to be substituted in the 32nd minute. John Aloisi came on to partner Hall in attack. Some great skill by McLoughlin found Pethick 30-yards out and his shot had to be tipped over by Perez. The corner was poor and Sunderland cleared with comfort. Holloway though became the first player to be booked after he had brought down Aloisi.
Shortly before the break Flahavan made a fine save when he dived down to stop Rae's header going in from a Gray cross. Pompey generally lacked any punch in attack with Hall constantly losing out to the defenders although with Aloisi on it meant he could roam around more and hit Sunderland with his pace.
Another shot from outside the area was easily claimed by Flahavan before Pompey went very close to equalising in the 49th minute. Aloisi picked up Pethick's good pass, turned his marker, beat two defenders before getting in a shot which Gray somehow knocked it over bar. The wing-back was virtually on the line and his body language suggested he wanted to clear the ball out for a throw-in, but he ball looped up and over the bar.
The home side were being reduced to some more long range shooting and were finding it hard to break down Pompey's tough defence. Pompey had another great chance to equalise in the 55th minute when from Pethick's low cross from the right Aloisi looked certain to score at the near post but he totally missed the ball and Sunderland cleared. The only singing in the ground was coming from the Pompey fans with the home fans becoming very unsettled with their side's poor passing.
Pethick was getting into attack well down the right and from another right wing cross Aloisi headed just past the post as another chance went begging. Hall and Gray were then booked for squaring up to each other after the pair battled away down Sunderland's left. Pompey were fighting well and deserved a goal with Aloisi making the difference since his introduction, you have to wonder why the Aussie didn't start the game.
Eventually Pompey's persistence was reward although in the end they were gifted an equaliser. McLoughlin's long ball looked meat and drink for Williams but he was clatted by Perez who had rushed off his line. The pair lost the ball had Hall couldn't believe his luck as he tapped the it into an open goal. Sunderland made an immediate change which did not go down well with the home fans as Rae came off for Dichio.
Yet Dichio could have put Sunderland back in front when from a Gray cross in the 83rd minute he crashed a header against the underside of the cross bar. Thomson put the rebound behind as Pompey desperately held on to what was looking a precious point. However, it could have been all three when some more unsure Sunderland defending allowed Hall into the box but he put the chance over the bar and that was to prove costly.
Johnston picked up the ball on the left, cut in 20-yards out and sent a glorious curling shot into the top corner of the net. Pompey tried to grab another equaliser but they were severely deflated and Sunderland looked the more likely to score. The final whistle went after five minutes of stoppage time and it was greeted by a huge roar by the home crowd who knew their side hadn't played well.