Sunderland were held to a draw against Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa, but we really should have come away with all three, as Danny Collins wrongly saw an injury time goal ruled out.

Roy Keane made a few changes to the side that lost against Chelsea last weekend. Greg Halford - a contender for man of the match at Stamford Bridge - wasn't even on the bench, as he had a suspected injury, meaning that Dean Whitehead replaced him at right back. Dwight Yorke came into midfield in Whitehead's place, while Antony Stokes replaced the supsended Liam Miller as Daryl Murphy came in for Grant Leadbitter.

Sunderland started well, with Danny Higginbotham heading Ross Wallace's corner over the bar on eight minutes in what was our first real attack forward, and just two minutes later the former Stoke man went one better, heading us into the lead as Wallace's corner gave Scott Carson no chance in the visitors' goal.

Villa did come back into the game straight away, as Dean Whitehead almost gave away an own goal with a header that just went out for a corner from Craig Gardner's cross, before John Carew was flagged offside as he put a shot well wide of Darren Ward's goal. Sunderland weren't put under the cosh though, with Ross Wallace's crosses causing the Villa back four some problems. Kenwyne Jones' header was the nearest thing we had to a decent effort in the remainder of the first half though, while Villa took advantage of some poor passing from our midfield, only to not test Ward.

After the restart, Villa did look like they had some more organisation about them, but it was Sunderland who had the advantage, with Jones being denied by Zat Knight straight after the restart, before Wallace saw a shot deflect off of Stokes and out for a goal kick. Danny Higginbotham to be alert on 49 minutes as he hacked away John Carew's shot off the line, before the visitors had a penalty appeal turned down on Dwight Yorke.

Grant Leadbitter came on just after the hour mark and immediately won a corner when Nigel Reo-Coker's tackle saw the ball go behind - before the sub sent his set piece straight towards Carson in the Villa goal. Villa themselves made a change, with Shaun Maloney coming on, and he made an impact almost immediately, curling an unstoppable free kick into the top left hand corner after he had been fouled by Paul McShane.

Sunderland had a penalty claim turned down after the restart when Wilfried Bouma brought down Michael Chopra in the box, but we carried on regardless in search of a winner - and we thought we'd won it in the third minute of stoppage time when Grant Leadbitter's corner was nodded in by Danny Collins, only for the foul to be ruled out for an alleged foul on the keeper. Cue some angry fans, and a referee who had to be escorted off the pitch at the final whistle.

All in all, a good point, but it really should have been three!

Sunderland: Ward, Whitehead, McShane, Higginbotham, Collins, Murphy, Wallace (sub 83, Cole), Etuhu (sub 61, Leadbitter), Yorke, Stokes (sub 70, Chopra), Jones. Subs: Gordon, O'Donovan.

Aston Villa: Carson, Mellberg, Laursen, Knight, Bouma, Gardner (sub 67, Maloney), Reo-Coker, Barry, Young, Carew, Agbonlahor. Subs: Taylor, Berger, Osborne, Harewood.