Phillips stuns Hammers

McAteer (right) finds his path blocked by Dailly

Sunderland 1-0 West Ham

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England striker Kevin Phillips got Sunderland out of jail as he snatched victory over West Ham with a late winner.

Phillips struck five minutes from the end of a game the visitors could have wrapped up long before.

If you keep clean sheets and you've got the likes of Kevin in your side, you've always got a chance of winning a game

Peter Reid

Phillips' eighth goal of the season rounded off an afternoon when keeper Thomas Sorensen rekindled memories of Wearside legend Jimmy Montgomery.

His stunning double save from Jermaine Defoe and Michael Carrick's follow-up echoed Montgomery's save in Sunderland's FA Cup win in 1973.

West Ham left Wearside empty handed after letting a series of chances go begging.

  Key moments

1min: Defoe outpaces Thome, who recovers to tackle.

23mins: Phillips volley saved by James at second attempt

40mins: Defoe races clear, buts drags shot wide.

79mins: James saves Butler shot.

85mins: Phillips glances home the winner.

Defoe's pace proved a constant menace to Sunderland as the youngster played on Emerson Thome's shoulder and more than once showed him a clean pair of heels.

The diminutive striker's best chance came five minutes before the break when David James' punch allowed Joe Cole to put Trevor Sinclair into space.

Sunderland target Sinclair fed Defoe who raced clear only to drag his shot across the face of Sorensen's goal.

West Ham restricted Sunderland to one first-half chance when Niall Quinn laid off Julio Arca's pass to Phillips, whose well-struck volley was gathered by David James at the second attempt.

That's as well as we've played away from home this year, and really we should have been out of sight when Kevin Phillips scored

Glenn Roeder

The Hammers were looking the more likely winners as the game entered the final stages.

It took a good block tackle from Haas to deny Defoe after he again raced through with almost embarrassing ease.

But James - who had been a virtual spectator for most of the half - was called upon 11 minutes from time.

Substitute Thomas Butler's cross was only half-cleared and Gavin McCann dispatched a 25-yard piledriver through a crowd of players.

Niall Quinn got little change from West Ham's defence

Sunderland worked up a late head of steam, with substitute Lilian Laslandes directing his volley straight at James.

The Black Cats finally made the pressure count five minutes from time when Arca sent in a teasing cross from the left and Phillips got there just ahead of James to prod the ball into the empty net.

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Sunderland: Sorensen, Haas, Williams, Thome, Gray, McAteer, McCann, Thirlwell, Arca, Quinn, Phillips. Subs: Macho, McCartney, Laslandes, Schwarz, Butler.

West Ham: James, Sinclair, Repka, Dailly, Schemmel, Minto, Hutchison, Carrick, Cole, Kitson, Defoe. Subs: Hislop, Moncur, Courtois, Todorov, Potts.

Referee: P Jones (Loughborough).