‘I've been here six months and he’s never mentioned that long throw!’

This was not the Sunderland we have become used to under Tony Mowbray but it did give Fulham a scare.

Danny Batth was causing a fair amount of havoc up front and then from nowhere, with time ticking and a goal or two required, Aji Alese proceeded tolaunchalong,flatandpretty dangerousthrowrightintothe heart of the box.

It came as a surprise to just abouteveryoneintheStadium of Light, including the head coach in the dugout.

While Mowbray has warned not to expect to see it very often, it's very much been noted that Sunderland might have another string to their bow if they are chasing a game late on in the future.

Mowbray said. "I spoke to him in training on Friday and said to him, 'I've been here six months and you never mentioned that long throw mate!'.

"Ithinkyouwillseemoreof it moving forward. It's not goingtobesomethingwedoevery timeitgoesdownhisside,we're a possession-based football team. Late in the game, you're pushing your centre-halves up...we've seen ourselves how much trouble it can cause and particularly if teams aren't reallypreparedforit.AllofasuddenDannyBatthisflickingone on and you might get something from it.

"We might well use it, but it'scertainlynotgoingtobethe core of what we do. I'd rather get the ball and get it to the feet of a Patrick Roberts or a Jack Clarke."

Though not likely to be deployedtoooften,Sunderland's discovery will at least mean they avoid a repeat of their failure to deploy it during Rory Delap's spell at the club in the mid-2000s.

Delap played 13 games for

Sunderland before moving to Stoke City, where he won a long-throwcontestinpre-season.

The midfielder went on to tell a stunned Tony Pulis that he had been a javelin champion in his youth, and help his new team become one of the Premier League's toughest opponents with their new-found weapon.

*Charlton Athletic owner Thomas Sandgaard has confirmed takeover talks with Charlie Methven’s group have ended, with the deal no longer set to take place.

Methven, a former co-owner at Sunderland, has been heavily linked with a return to footballwithCharlton,withnational outlets claiming he was closinginona£10milliontakeover of the League One club.

However, the Charlton owner has confirmed talks have broken down.