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Sunderland welcome Bolton to the Stadium of Light this evening (KO 7.45pm) looking to move back up the Barclays Premier League.

The Black Cats have lost just one of their last five games, but remain the only top-flight team without a win in 2010.

Bolton sit two places and two points above the men from Wearside and have won both of their last two games (1-0 v Wolves, 2-1 v West Ham).

TEAM NEWS
Who's in, who's out?

Sunderland will be without Andy Reid and Jordan Henderson as the pair continue to recover from hamstring and ankle injuries respectively.

Kieran Richardson (calf) and Lee Cattermole (hamstring) are rated as doubtful and David Meyler serves the final game of a three-match ban.

For Bolton, Chris Basham, Sean Davis and Joey O'Brien (all knee) miss out, as do Gary Cahill (blood clot), Stuart Holden (broken leg) and Gavin McCann (thigh).

Mark Davies could return from an ankle injury, but Tamir Cohen is banned.


MATCH FACTS
Useful stats ahead of the game.

- Bolton's win at West Ham on Saturday was Owen Coyle's first away victory as a Barclays Premier League manager.
- The Trotters have won three away games this season, drawing three and losing eight.
- Sunderland have drawn six games at home this season, including each of their last four outings on Wearside.
- Bolton have scored 14 times away from home in the league, while Sunderland have found the net on 19 occasions at the Stadium of Light.
- Defender Gary Cahill - currently out with injury - is Bolton's top scorer with seven goals. Ivan Klasnic and Kevin Davies have both scored six times.
- Midfielder Matthew Taylor leads Bolton with 45 shots on target. Incredibly, he has hit the woodwork on 12 occasions.
- Bolton are 12th in the current form table, having taken eight points from their last six games.
- Tonight's visitors have the fourth-worst defensive record in the division (50 goals conceded).

KEY BATTLES
A look at the crucial head-to-heads.

JOHN MENSAH v KEVIN DAVIES

John Mensah's tussle with Bobby Zamora last week shows he relishes a physical battle, which is exactly what he'll get from Bolton's Kevin Davies.

Davies has given away the most fouls in the Premier League this season but his physical approach is teamed with a sharp footballing brain and eye for an opportunity.

Mensah tends to drift out of deep positions to follow his markers, often as far as the half-way line. That will stand him in good stead to attempt to deal with Davies early as preventing him bringing other players into the game is key.

Mensah has the smarts and thick skin required for this test, and stopping Bolton's key man will be vital to Sunderland's chances of a result tonight.

ANTON FERDINAND v CHUNG-YONG LEE

Anton Ferdinand is enjoying a renaissance in his new left-back role, but the big defender will face a potent threat in Chung-Yong Lee tonight.

The Korean winger has burst onto the top-flight scene and has bagged vital goals and assists from the right-hand side with his pace and excellent touch.

Ferdinand has a big height and weight advantage, so he must look to win the ball early and prevent Lee from getting behind him into space, where the winger can use his speed to create openings.

If the Sunderland man can put pressure on his marker while not leaving himself exposed, he will likely reduce the number of crossing opportunities afforded to Bolton down his flank.

KENWYNE JONES v ZAT KNIGHT

A physical battle looks in prospect up front tonight as Kenwyne Jones comes up against giant defender Zat Knight.

Jones is well-reknowned for his physical frame and he will have to use every inch of it to get the better of Knight, who scored the winner against Wolves at the Reebok last weekend.

The big Trinidadian must win air superiority over Knight if he is to continue his attempts to flick on for strike partner Darren Bent. The Bolton defender is also more than happy to compete on the ground with Jones showing an increasing propensity to run at defences in recent games.

Jones is also used regularly to defend set-pieces, and here the roles could be reversed should Jones be selected to ensure Knight doesn't use his height advantage to get on the end of dead balls.

LAST TIME OUT
What happened the last time the two sides met?

Bolton Wanderers 0 Sunderland 1 (Click here for match report)
Reebok Stadium, Saturday 15th August 2009

Darren Bent scored on his full Sunderland debut to hand Steve Bruce a win in his first league game in charge.

The England striker struck after just five minutes, heading in Steed Malbranque's cross to delight the 4,500-strong travelling army.

Sunderland could have extended their lead on several occasions in the first half but only a super save from Marton Fulop on Gary Cahill prevented Wanderers from levelling before the break.

The second half was a more even affair as Bolton pushed, but Sunderland held out well and Fulop made another stunning save - this time from Sean Davis - in the dying seconds to safeguard the three points.

BIG MATCH QUOTES
What are the key men saying ahead of the game?

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce: "It's my job to calm everyone down and get them playing without fear. At the moment, too many of them are playing with a fear of being beaten; they're tense and giving the ball away. I don't want to see it and I'm sure the supporters don't want to see it either. Everyone wants to see us back playing the football we did at the start of the season. People accuse me of lumping the ball up the pitch, and that's the last thing I'd resort to. Unfortunately the players were edgy on Sunday and they did that a bit too much. That's something we've been working on this week."

Sunderland striker Fraizer Campbell: "Bolton have changed their style; they were more route one before but since Owen Coyle's come in they've been passing it more. Like I've said before, the Arsenal game was a good test against a footballing team - now hopefully we can take something from that, play some good stuff and come away with win. Nights like this define seasons - we must make sure we define it in the right way."

Bolton manager Owen Coyle: "There will be over 40,000 vociferous supporters in a beautiful arena. They have a quality manager and some very good players, and we accept that they have been on indifferent run. But we all know in football that you only need one boost to get the form going again and we have to make sure that for them it doesn't come against us on Tuesday night. Winning the two games has obviously elevated us up the table but we recognise that if we lose a few games then we will be back where we don't want to be, so we are determined to continue moving forwards."

Bolton defender Sam Ricketts: "I'm really looking forward to the game, to be honest. When you are winning you want to keep that habit going and try to pick up the points. Michael Turner is up there, who was obviously at Hull City with me last year. We were room-mates and used to play alongside each other - I was right-back and he was centre-half. So I'm looking forward playing against him."

THE GAFFER
A profile of Bolton Wanderers manager, Owen Coyle.

Owen Coyle caused something of a stir in Lancashire when he left Burnley for rivals Bolton in January.

After arriving at Turf Moor from St Johnstone, Coyle had overseen a revolution at Turf Moor and guided the Clarets into the top flight last season via the play-offs following a thrilling campaign of Championship football.

Some would say Coyle topped that achievement when he presided over four home victories at the start of the season, including a famous win over Manchester United.

The togetherness and stylish football shown by Burnley impressed many, and the football world sensed it wouldn't be logn before Coyle's mettle was tested by an approach from another top-flight club.

That eventually came when Bolton made an approach for the Scot's services, and Coyle decided to leave Turf Moor for the club for whom he made more than 50 appearances in the 90's.

Coyle's first win as Gary Megson's successor came in a cup tie against Sheffield United, and ironically he chalked up his first league win in charge against former club Burnley.

Six points from the last two games suggest Coyle's appointment is having the desired effect, and Sunderland will be hoping to stall that progress tonight.

ONE TO WATCH
A look at Bolton's dangerman.

KEVIN DAVIES

Bolton have built a team around lynchpin striker Kevin Davies, renowned as one of the toughest customers in the Barclays Premier League.

Blessed with imposing physical presence and excellent hold-up ability combined with an eye for goal, Davies has found a home at the Reebok Stadium and is closing in on ten years with the club.

Davies scored in last week's 2-1 win over West Ham - his sixth goal of the season - and needs only five more league strikes to bring up a career tally of 100 league goals. He has found the net 117 times in all competitions.

The former Blackburn striker, who has also played for Chesterfield, Southampton and Millwall, certainly takes no prisoners and picked up six bookings in eight games earlier on in the season.

But it's Davies' combination of strength and guile which makes him so dangerous. He'll be expected to lead the line tonight and will relish doing so.


MATCH COVERAGE
Where can you keep tabs on the game?

Live text updates from the Stadium of Light are available for free on safc.com, the club's official website.

The club's online multimedia service, SAFC TV, will be broadcasting online commentaries courtesy of BBC Newcastle and Real Radio. A week's access costs just 99p! Click here to sign up today.

iPhone and iPod Touch users can download the club's new App from the iTunes Store here to access live text commentary, team news and even LIVE streaming audio commentary directly from their device (extra subscription required for commentary).

Fans can also follow @SAFCOfficial on Twitter (www.twitter.com/SAFCOfficial) to access live updates.

Sunderland: Gordon, Hutton, Ferdinand, Mensah, Turner, Malbranque, Campbell, Cana (C), Cattermole, Jones, Bent.

Subs: Carson, Bardsley, McCartney, Zenden, Da Silva, Kilgallon, Benjani.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Ricketts, Steinsson, Knight, Robinson, Lee, Gardner, Muamba, Wilshere, Davies (C), Elmander.

Subs: Samuel, Taylor, Riga, Klasnic, Al-Habsi, O'Brien, Weiss.

Stu Vose

More than three months of bitter frustration came flooding out as Sunderland produced a four-star display to leave Bolton reeling and claim their first league win since November.

Victory was achieved in style as Darren Bent led the line brilliantly to record a memorable hat-trick and take his tally to 19 goals for the season.

Fraizer Campbell sent Sunderland on their way in style by opening the scoring inside the first minute as the Black Cats' first league double of the season improved their recent record to just one defeat in six.

But while Bent will take the headlines for his three-goal blast, Steed Malbranque will walk away with Steve Bruce's man of the match award after turning in a magnificent display in midfield.

Recalled to the side following a spell of absence, Malbranque was key in the first three goals and received a standing ovation when he was substituted late on, sharing a warm handshake with manager Bruce upon leaving the field.

A clean sheet will be the icing on the cake for Bruce, who couldn't contain his joy on the touchline as Sunderland ran away with the contest in the final half-hour against a Bolton side who had Sam Ricketts sent off with 16 minutes to play.

The win was Sunderland's first in 15 top-flight games, and the hosts were on their way after just 43 seconds as Fraizer Campbell ensured the men from Wearside got off to the best possible start.

Lorik Cana did well to retain possession and lobbed the ball to the back post, where Campbell broke behind his marker to stab the ball beyond an exposed Jussi Jaaskelainen and high into the net - punishment for some slack defending from the away side.

Cue a brief glance to the heavens for Bruce on the touchline as he hailed Campbell's first league goal for Sunderland and his fourth strike of the campaign overall.

The breakthrough gave a reshaped home side early confidence and the reinstated Malbranque was key to their attacking invention.

The little Belgian did well to release Bent on the breakaway following a Bolton attack, and the England striker sidestepped his marker neatly on the edge of the box but drove his shot straight at the keeper.

Just before the quarter-hour, Sunderland threatened again. Lee Cattermole did well to win possession on the right and curled a lovely cross into the path of Campbell, whose looping back-header evaded Jaaskelainen only to drop on top of the net.

Another counter-attack heralded a great chance for Bent on 23 minutes as Malbranque again played a part in the build-up. His clever flick released Campbell, who dropped an exquisite 50-yard pass right on to the toe of Sunderland'stop scorer.

Bent slalomed inside one challenge and slid the ball beyond Jaaskalainen and Paul Robinson's desperate challenge, but the shot was inches off-target and rolled agonisingly wide of the far post.

Bolton, meanwhile, were forcing a number of corners and generated a half-chance when Zat Knight headed wide from a left-wing free kick.

But Sunderland pressed undeterred with Malbranque again front and centre. This time he bamboozled his marker to break clear down the left and teed up Kenwyne Jones, who rifled in a shot from just outside the box only to see Jaaskelainen tip the ball behind.

Then it was Bent's turn to knock on for Jones, whose thumping drive would have taken the back of the net off had it not flashed narrowly over the bar.

And the hosts still had chance to carve out another useful counter-attacking opportunity before the break, created by Bent's industry wide on the left.

The striker did well to wrestle back possession and release Lee Cattermole with Bolton still pushing high up the pitch. He fed Jones, who in turn sent Alan Hutton speeding clear.

Hutton still had work to do and managed to evade the challenge of Gretar Steinsson, but he just couldn't work the angle after getting the ball back on to his favourite right foot and the shot sailed wide.

Sunderland began the second half in the same vein they ended the first, although they did have a minor scare when Chung-Yong Lee broke free in the box and forced Gordon to save his deflected shot at the second attempt.

But any nerves began to lift when the home side bagged a beautifully-crafted second goal just after the hour, cashing in on some more of the intricate approach play shown in the first period.

Malbranque dug the ball out wide on the left just inside the Bolton half and found the onrushing Cattermole with a lovely reverse pass. Given space and time, Cattermole played in leading marksman Bent, who turned Sam Ricketts inside out and lashed a shot beyond Jaaskelainen.

Creator Cattermole was replaced by Phil Bardsley shortly afterwards after pulling up with an injury as Sunderland weathered a brief storm. Gordon had to be alert to punch out Vladimir Weiss's dangerous cross, while sub Ivan Klasnic blasted just wide following a mistake by John Mensah.

But the game was well and truly out of Bolton's grasp when another piece of Malbranque magic helped seal the points. His defence-splitting ball had Ricketts scrambling back to catch Bent as he raced away - the defender sent his opponent tumbling inside the box and was promptly dismissed for a second bookable offence.

Bent dusted himself down and duly dispatched the spot-kick with minimal fuss for his second goal of the game with 16 minutes to play.

Jones could have made it four in the final ten minutes as he first forced Jaaskelainen into a fine tip-over after turning on a sixpence inside the box. Then he netted the rebound after Bent rattled the post, only to be flagged offside.

Bruce's boys, however, did have the fourth goal they wanted to round off a memorable night on Wearside when Campbell pulled the ball back from the byeline for striking pal Bent, who cracked the ball home triumphantly to round off his first treble in Sunderland colours.

After more than three hard months without a league win, the Sunderland fans will have savoured every minute of this one. It could even have been five deep into injury time, but Campbell's drive was well held by Jaaskelainen.

"Are you listening, Fabio?" was the cry from the stands, and on this display Sunderland's chief goal poacher just might be in with a shout of getting to South Africa.

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce felt Fraizer Campbell's early goal was key to his team's resounding 4-0 win over Bolton at the Stadium of Light.

Campbell nipped in to score inside the first minute as the Black Cats secured their first league win since November at the expense of a Bolton side who played some decent football without creating too many chances.

Darren Bent scored a crucial second just after the hour and went on to add two more as he underscored his claims for an England place with his first treble haul for Sunderland.

The damage could have been heavier but for a fine save from Jussi Jaaskelainen in the final minutes, leaving Bruce delighted as his side moved up to 13th in the Barclays Premier League.

"We've been trying to stay positive and trying to keep our spirits up as it's been a long, long time," he told SAFC TV.

"It's been close a few times but the win was resounding when it came. It gives everybody a lift after a difficult time.

"I'll certainly learn from it. The players deserved it today as they were excellent from start to finish. We're getting a few back and it shows.

"We looked a bit more like it again, which is pleasing. We got the start we wanted and Fraizer can always nip in with a goal, which he did for us.

"Winning 4-0 in the Premier League doesn't happen very often and it's good to win again. It was good to see the lads performing and playing with that freedom with the shackles off towards the end. They got their rewards today."

More than 36,000 fans roared the Black Cats to victory and the final whistle sparked joyous scenes amongst a home faithful starved of results during a trying winter period.

And Bruce thanks the supporters for their backing after seeing his side end their winless run, saying: "It can't have been easy for the fans over a long, difficult winter and we rewarded them tonight.

"I thank them again, they have been brilliant and I'm delighted we gave them something to shout about."