English Premiership
Wolves see off Sunderland
2010-05-09 19:50
Wolverhampton - Wolverhampton Wanderers edged out Sunderland 2-1 at Molineux on the final day of the Premier League season with both sides having already preserved their status.
Franco-Algerian Adlene Guedioura, signed on-loan from Belgium's Charleroi in the January window, struck the winner 13 minutes from time to cheer Wolves fans after their side went a goal behind early on.
Mick McCarthy twice endured relegation in his time in charge of the visitors but this season the former Ireland manager has hauled Wolves away from the drop zone five years on from a bottom place finish by the Midlanders.
Steve Bruce has meanwhile turned Sunderland into a side able to flirt with the top half of the table for much of the campaign, a strong home record banishing any fears of relegation with time to spare.
Trinidadian international Kenwyne Jones put Bruce's men ahead on eight minutes after good work by Fraizer Campbell only for Kevin Doyle to level from the spot two minutes later for only Wolves' 12th league goal on home turf all season after Alan Hutton fouled Matthew Jarvis.
Wolves, promoted from the second-tier Championship as champions last season, have blown hot and cold all season, most notably doing a shock double over Tottenham but scrapping for win bonuses elsewhere.
Even so, with their away form all but matching their home equivalent - though they did lose 5-2 at Sunderland - the black and golds have done enough to ensure a second straight season in the top flight for the first time in three decades and they finished 15th to Sunderland's 13th.
Sunderland ended the game down to 10 man after Jack Colback was sent off in injury time for a foul on Roland Zubar.