CarlingNet - No 1 for Match Reports

Arsenal v Sunderland 28/09/96 3.00

Arsenal                 (0) 2 Sunderland              (0) 0 FT
Hartson 73                    
Parlour 88

John Hartson and substitute Ray Parlour scored late goals to lift Arsenal into second place in the Premiership in a match reduced to a farce by the sendings-off of Sunderland's Martin Scott and Paul Stewart in the opening 39 minutes.

Both players were dismissed by Leicestershire referee Paul Danson for two bookable offences apiece.

The official also sent off Sunderland manager Peter Reid after a furious touchline row following the dismissal of Scott in the 20th minute for a second foul on Arsenal's Lee Dixon.

Former Tottenham star Stewart, who had been booked for deliberate hand-ball in the opening minutes, appeared to handle again just before the interval and was also shown the red card, reducing Sunderland to nine men.

Yet for a long spell it looked as though Sunderland's depleted forces would frustrate the Gunners and pinch a point.

Hartson finally made the breakthrough after 73 minutes, climbing at the far post to head in debut-making substitute Paul Shaw's fine cross, having already wasted at least two clearcut chances and seen a goal disallowed for a foul.

Sunderland, who also survived in the first half when Andy Melville cleared Ian Wright's shot off the line, had to come out then, having previously pulled all their nine remaining men back into their own half.

The Gunners, despite sending Tony Adams up to play as an extra centre-forward on his Highbury comeback, failed miserably to batter down the door of Sunderland's determined defence until the big Welshman found the target.

Even then, they needed to clear a mighty goalmouth scramble at the other end to prevent promoted Sunderland sneaking an equaliser.

The Wearsiders were finally put out of their misery two minutes from the end.

Parlour, who had replaced tiring Frenchman Patrick Vieira, raced on to Shaw's pass following a counter-attacking exchange with Paul Merson and rifled home from a tight angle for his first goal in two seasons.