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Sunderland moved three points clear of the top-flight drop zone as Kevin Ball inspired a priceless home victory against Chelsea.

Ball, a successful £350,000 summer signing from Portsmouth, won the man-of-the-match award on a day when Colin Pascoe’s fourth goal of the season clinched three welcome points at Roker Park.

After accepting the sponsors’ award, Ball confessed: “I’ve never been so embarrassed in all my life.

“While it’s pleasing to play well, it’s a team game.

“Winning three points is a lot more important than me winning the man-of-thematch award.”

Both keepers were kept busy and produced a series of fine saves, with Sunderland goalie Tony Norman securing a second successive home clean sheet.

Marco Gabbiadini should have had a sixth-minute opener, on the eve of his 23rd birthday, shrugging off Jason Cundy and taking the ball beyond keeper Dave Beasant. only to see future Sunderland full-back Gareth Hall clear off the line.

Norman made his first top-notch stop soon after, narrowing the angle to block an effort from Kerry Dixon in a one on one, then denying turning a Gordon Durie header, from Hall’s searching cross, over the bar..

Gabbiadini was denied by a fine Beasant stop before Peter Davenport’s spectacular volley was headed off the line by Tony Dorigo.

AfterGordonArmstrong’s well-directed header was brilliantly saved by Beasant, it looked like it was not going to be Sunderland’s day.

But Denis Smith’s side kept battling and deservedly forged in front just before the hour mark.

Paul Bracewell fed Gabbiadini, and his surging run left two defenders in this wake. He played in overlapping stand-in full-back Gary Owers, and his perfect centre was headed home firmly by Welsh international Pascoe.

Sunderland, not for the first time in the 1990-91 sea- son, wilted in the closing stages.

Dixon failed to turn home John Bumstead’s cross, and Norman denied Durie on the rebound before a wall of Sunderland players combined to keep the ball out in a resulting melee.

Norman defied sub David Lee before the game finished in dramatic circumstances as Durie was sent off for backheeling Paul Hardyman in a midfield skirmish.

Sunderland saw out the win to thrill a 20,038-strong crowd to sit in fourth-bottom spot on 21 points from 23 games.

Boss Smith, who returned Ball to centre-back alongside Gary Bennett, hailed the 25-year-old, saying: I was tempted to play Ball at rightback, but Dixon and Durie have got a fair bit of pace and it needed Bally in the middle – he was outstanding.

“He has had a fairly steady season, but that’s the best he has played.”