Reid pride fighters need a grand finale

Sunderland and Republic of Ireland striker Niall Quinn, stunned that Portuguese defender Jorge Costa stayed on the pitch despite clearly kicking him and appearing to spit on international team- mate Jason McAteer, admitted: 'We are all really disappointed not to get three points.

'But we have to take the positive out of it and believe we can get out of trouble on the last day.

' We realise we haven't played well but that doesn't mean you just stop.

'Although we might be at the wrong end of the table, we know what it means for the fans to stay out of the bottom three.

'We've built up their hopes over the last couple of years and hopefully we can still give them something to cheer about, even if it's only escaping relegation.'

Quinn added: 'At the Stadium of Light in a fortnight, the crowd will be right behind us and we've got to believe that survival is there for the taking.

'This kind of situation, it's why you play football. Hopefully you deal with it.'

The Sunderland team bus had the radio on at full volume on the journey home, as the team tuned into live commentary of Manchester United's win at Ipswich, the penalty from Ruud van Nistelrooy as important as anything which happened at the Valley.

Charlton's final home game of a season that promised much gave their fans few reasons to cheer, as their freefall from an unexpected winter high of seventh place continued.

The early goal from Jason Euell was a beauty, a smashing right-foot finish from Jonatan Johansson's cross after a quick throw-in by Luke Young. But Kevin Kilbane's equaliser deflated the home crowd.

After Kevin Phillips put the visitors ahead with a header, his first goal in 12 games, the match descended into a more scrappy and illtempered affair which could have produced more than just five yellow cards.

At least Alan Curbishley's men didn't end their home campaign with defeat, though goalscorer Euell admitted: 'If our decline had started a bit later in the season, we could have been down there next to Sunderland.

'We set ourselves a big target, finishing in the top half of the table, and when we got to seventh we became a little complacent.

'We can't let that happen next season.'

At least Charlton are sure they will be there to have a go. Sunderland's place at next year's big bun fight, though probable, still remains uncertain.