Sunderland 0-0 Cardiff

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Cardiff's Rhys Weston was carried off at the Stadium of Light

Sunderland wasted the chance to climb up the First Division table as they turned in a lacklustre performance against visitors Cardiff.

Victory would have sent the Black Cats into the top three but the majority of the 26,835 crowd went home disappointed.

There was little between the teams in the opening exchanges as both sides battled for midfield possession.

It took 19 minutes for the first real attempt on goal, when John Oster met Thomas Butler's right-wing cross, but he fired his effort straight at Neil Alexander in the Bluebirds' goal.

Moments later Colin Healy tried his luck from 25 yards, but the former Celtic midfielder dragged his shot wide of Alexander's left post.

But it wasn't all one-way traffic and midway through the half the visitors should have gone ahead.

Willie Boland played the ball over the Sunderland defence, who hesitated claming an offside, allowing Andy Campbell to nip through.

The former Middlesbrough striker, in for the injured Peter Thorne, was one-on-one against Mart Poom but drilled his shot straight at the Estonian international.

Sunderland replied when Darren Williams made a rare foray behind the Cardiff defence and picked out Kevin Kyle with his cross, but the Scotland international could not keep his effort down.

Strapped together

Cardiff's hopes suffered a major blow 10 minutes before the break when Wales international Rhys Weston was carried off with a serious-looking leg injury.

The defender fell awkwardly after an innocuous looking challenge and was stretchered off with his legs strapped together to be replaced by Gary Croft.

Both sides had opportunities to take all three points after half-time, but neither could find the breakthrough.

Cardiff skipper Graham Kavanagh saw his free-kick deflected narrowly wide after Campbell had been brought down.

Then Marcus Stewart had a glorious opportunity for the home side when he got on the end of Julio Arca's cross, only to send his header wide, with Kevin Kyle following suit soon after.

Julian Gray came off the bench to make his Cardiff debut after joining on a month's loan from Crystal Palace, but he was unable to make the difference in the latter stages.

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Sunderland: Poom, Arca, McCartney, Breen, Williams, Butler, Healy, Whitley, Oster, Kyle, Stewart.
Subs: Tommy Smith, Ingham, Proctor, Thornton, Bjorklund.

Cardiff: Alexander, Barker, Gabbidon, Vidmar, Weston, Langley, Boland, Kavanagh, Robinson, Earnshaw, Campbell.
Subs: Gray, Bonner, Prior, Croft, Margetson.

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).