Sunderland went back to the top of the Championship for a day, after winning a thrilling encounter with Burnley at the Stadium of Light on Friday.

The ever-changing team saw Danny Simpson return from injury, while Liam Miller and Anthony Stokes came in for Dwight Yorke and Stern John respectively. Sunderland started well with over 44,000 supporters backing them, as Carlos Edwards fired in a cross that had to be headed away from Dean Whitehead in the first minute.

Edwards missed a good chance to put us ahead on 12 minutes, firing at the legs of Brian Jensen after taking on a cross from Stokes, but a minute later we were in front, when David Connolly provided the ammunition from the right wing, allowing Daryl Murphy to slide home his eighth goal of the season.

Burnley could have equalised straight away, as Nyron Nosworthy almost bundled a Burnley cross into his own net, but the club's player of the season ended up giving away a corner instead. Steve Caldwell fouled Darren Ward from that corner, as we went down the other end and tested Jensen once more, with Stokes firing straight at the keeper from 25 yards out.

We should have doubled our lead on 20 minutes, after Wayne Thomas gave away a penalty for a foul on David Connolly. However, Connolly saw his spot kick saved low to the left by Jensen, as Sunderland kept pouring forward with Liam Miller firing in a shot from 20 yards out that went off target.

Sunderland started to slip and allow Burnley into the game, and with five minutes left in the first half, the expected happened. Wade Elliott appeared to be brought down in the box by Darren Ward - although replays showed that Ward had gotten the ball first - and the visitors were awarded a spot kick. Former Sunderland man Andy Gray stepped up to sent Ward the wrong way and equalise, as Sunderland lost their way for the rest of the first half.

Unfortunately, we weren't much better after the restart, with Dean Whitehead losing possession early on, allowing Wade Elliott to smack home a 30 yarder into the top corner to put Burnley in front. That lead didn't last long, as Carlos Edwards was brought down in the penalty area, giving us a second penalty kick. David Connolly stepped up for another crack, and this time he dispatched the ball without any problems, sending Jensen the wrong way to level the game once again.

Sunderland regained the advantage after Connolly's penalty, and Brian Jensen was going to have to work if Burnley were to get anything out of this game, as Edwards fired a shot from 25 yards out that needed to be poked away, before the ex-Luton man sent a free kick straight at the keeper.

Darren Ward was called into action a few times, as McVeigh and Gudjonsson tried to be a hero for the visitors, but in the end it was Carlos Edwards who stole the show, putting a right footed shot into the top corner from 30 yards out with ten minutes to go. In the end, Sunderland could have extended their lead, with Edwards firing another shot straight at Jensen, while substitute Stern John's stab at goal trickled just the wrong side of the post - but in the end, 3-2 was enough to get us three points in what (touch wood) will be our last home game of the season.

It's all going to come down to the final day of the season. Get those fingernails ready!

Sunderland: Ward, Simpson, Nosworthy, Evans, Collins, Edwards, Whitehead, L Miller (sub 72, Leadbitter), Stokes (sub 70, Hysen), Murphy, Connolly (sub 85, John). Subs: Fulop, Yorke.

Burnley: Jensen, Duff, Thomas, Caldwell, Harley, Elliott (sub 72, Spicer), Djemba-Djemba, McCann (sub 28, Gudjonsson), Jones (sub 57, Akinbiyi), Gray, McVeigh. Subs: Coyne, Coughlan.