Sunderland hosted Reading tonight in a potential 'six-pointer' between two of the Premier League's bottom three.
The match was originally scheduled for August but had to be called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
Neither side had recorded a win in their last four games, with Sunderland winning just once in their last 11 matches.
Reading were on similarly poor form with one win in 12, making tonight's match all the more important.
Read a play-by-play account of how events unfolded below:
Right, that's it from me tonight. Thanks for joining Sports Mole on what was a great night for Sunderland, and an entertaining game of football for the neutral. Be sure to stick with us for news, reaction and particularly analysis, which should be on site within half an hour. If you haven't got your fix of live football, however, I'll direct you into the capable hands of Pascal Lemesre, who is following extra time of the Bradford vs Arsenal League Cup tie here. I know you all love a cupset! Good night!
While Sunderland will be delighted with the win, Reading's situation is looking increasingly desperate. They are still six points from safety, but no longer have a game in hand to call upon.
There you have it! Sunderland record a big win to move out of the relegation zone. They didn't look like a team that should be battling the drop and, for much of the match, the gulf in quality between the two sides was evident.
Almost 4-0 in the final minute as Fletcher finds McClean, but his effort is comfortable for Federici.
Cuellar boots the ball upfield and suddenly Sessegnon is through on goal. He shows good strength and pace to see off the defender before showing poise and composure to take it round the keeper and slot into the empty net. Game well and truly over.
Fletcher takes the ball into the corner and shows good strength before winning a throw in. Back into the corner it goes...
There will be FIVE MINUTES added time at the Stadium of Light, and Reading are starting to knock on the door.
CHANCE! Finally Reading get a clear chance! Hunt meets the corner and Mignolet calls upon his quickest reactions to deny the striker. Great reaction save!
Sunderland rebuff another Reading cross but McClean tries to dribble it out and concedes a corner...
Arsenal's blushes have been spared! Thomas Vermaelen grabs an 88th minute equaliser for the Gunners against Bradford.
Arsenal's blushes have been spared! Thomas Vermaelen grabs an 88th minute equaliser for the Gunners against Bradford.
Le Fondre gets his foot to a cross in the Sunderland boss, but he can't get enough on it to trouble Mignolet. Yet again, it's a half chance but nothing more.
McClean can certainly get power and swerve on his crosses. His latest one just doesn't swerve far enough away from the keeper, but if someone had gambled at the near post then they had a tap in.
SAVE! Fletcher wins yet another header, again to Sessegnon who drops a shoulder to cut inside before feeding Garner, but Federici plucks his effort out of the air.
Aston Villa have taken the lead against Norwich, while Bradford are STILL beating an almost full-strength Arsenal side!
CHANCE! Sessegnon breaks away and an unmarked McClean is screaming for it down the left. Sessegnon obliges, but Federici gets down well to deny McClean his second of the match. Very good save but Sunderland probably should have scored there.
Titus Bramble sums up what I think most people assume when his name is mentioned! His first touch is a hugely ambitious left-footed volley that the most skilful of players would have struggled to pull off. Bramble, unsurprisingly, doesn't fare well and, if it had enough power, it would have gone out for a throw in as far out as he hit it.
Bardsley is receiving treatment here, but the injury occurred while no-one was around him. He didn't even seem to be exerting himself much. Very strange. He goes off and Titus Bramble comes on to replace him.
PENALTY CLAIM! McAnuff threatens to find his way round the back of the defence and goes down under a challenge in the box. The referee waves it away though, and I think that's the right decision.
SUB: Vaughan comes on for the man of the moment Danny Rose, who has been in the wars tonight. Fantastic performance from him.
CHANCE! Fletcher wins a header for the umpteenth time tonight, flicking it on to Sessegnon who controls it brilliantly before firing a fine effort towards goal. Federici is equal to it, however.
The Mackem faithful chant Danny Rose's name to the tune of 'Daddy Cool', and he has thoroughly deserved the chants as he wins duel after duel.
Fletcher advances into the box after a one-two but just can't find space for a shot and eventually loses his footing. Rose then forces a corner for the hosts, which is cleared.
Rose flies in front of his man to win the ball and the free kick. He has been superb tonight, a definite contender for Sports Mole's man of the match.
Surging run from Tabb threatens to finally open up the Sunderland defence, but Cuellar responds with a crunching tackle. Fabulous play by the centre-back, there's nothing quite like a heavy, fair sliding tackle!
It's no surprise that Reading have edged the possession in this second half. Sunderland are sitting back a bit, protecting their two-goal lead.
Sunderland have been faultless when defending crosses today. Another one from Shorey is headed away and, even when they don't win the next one, they do enough to ensure that Hunt's header is easy pickings for Mignolet.
McClean goes down in a heap after a seemingly innocuous incident with Cummings. Replays show that he went over on his ankle. Those can either look a lot worse than they are or do serious damage. I think McClean will be able to continue though.
GREAT SAVE! Shorey can't place that free kick much better, but Mignolet responds well to his first test of the night, parrying it wide. Flying save from the Belgian.
BOOKING! Another foul from Rose right on the edge of the box brings a yellow card for the Tottenham loanee. Shorey is lining this one up...
CHANCE! McClean whips a superb, fierce cross into the box and Fletcher rises to meet it, but he times his jump wrong and can't direct it goalwards.
Steven Fletcher takes his time getting back up after a heavy fall. Concern spreads around all-but the away area of the Stadium of Light but it looks like he'll be alright.
Another half chance for Reading, perhaps their best so far though. Le Fondre finds Hunt with a clever ball inside, but the latter can only blaze his shot well over the bar. Again, though, the Sunderland defence was quick to react to the danger.
McClean again tries to get round his man, and he looks to be past him on the inside, but then goes back outside and loses it. Too much from the winger there, he looked like he wasn't confident enough on his right to take it on.
SUB: Sunderland make a half time sub as Phil Bardsley comes on for Adam Johnson, who has picked up a dead leg.
Let's have a look at some stats from that first half then shall we? Sunderland have enjoyed the lion's share of the possession with 58%, while they have also had more shots and corners than their opponents.
So what will McDermott be saying in the dressing room at half time? Well, to be honest, there isn't much he can say. His team haven't played badly as such, Sunderland have just defended them very well. If they carry on doing the same then the home defence is bound to lapse sooner or later, but Reading need more than just one goal. They need to force the issue.
A similar second half performance from Sunderland should see them take all three points, but I'd be surprised if Brain McDermott doesn't call upon reinforcements to create a bigger threat going forward in the second half.
What O'Neill may be happiest about, however, is how Sunderland have defended. Reading have had numerous good attacking platforms, which the hosts look happy to give them, but as soon as the ball comes anywhere near the box they switch on and get it away. Reading have been limited to half chances at best and, whenever they have had a shooting opportunity, they have failed to test Mignolet.
Martin O'Neill will be delighted with that first half performance. His side made a perfect start, taking the lead after less than three minutes through McClean, and Fletcher's classy backheel gave them some breathing space.
It's another half chance for Reading as the ball falls to McAnuff after the corner, but his effort is blocked.
CLOSE! Johnson swings the corner in and Fletcher meets it before anyone, but he can't direct it on target. You would've backed him to score that given his recent form, but questions must be asked of the Reading defence.
Johnson and Rose are limping about at the moment. Rose in particular has been on form this evening, so they'll be keen to wait until half time to have a look at him.
McClean goes for a hugely ambitious shot for the corner of the box, but it is blocked and deflects out for a corner...
Sunderland have hi-jacked the ball in the last few minutes. They're knocking it around nicely as Reading scurry about desperately trying to take it off them.
Tabb tries the something special I alluded to earlier, but he can't provide it. His powerful effort goes high and wide.
Fletcher is provided a superb outlet for Sunderland tonight. The hosts are being forced to boot long balls up the pitch to relieve pressure at the moment, and the striker is winning every aerial battle.
Same old story for Reading. They look to respond and get into a good position, but Sunderland remain defiant at the back. It's going to take something special to get through them tonight I think.
That is brilliant, sublime, outrageous, cheeky, whatever you want to call it. The cross comes in behind the Sunderland striker, but he just backheels it past a helpless Federici after a patient build-up from the Black Cats. Lionel Messi would've been proud of that one.
Gardner tries to power into Reading's half but he is brought down. Sunderland have lost their early rhythm at the moment. This is summed up by McClean almost latching on to a Fletcher flick, but he just takes his eye off the ball and the chance evaporates.
There have been goals in both of tonight's FA Cup ties. The headline news is that Bradford have taken the lead against Arsenal, while Norwich and Villa are locked at 1-1.
CLOSE! Sessegnon sees an initial effort blocked, but when he gets the ball back he leaves his marker for dead before flashing a powerful effort wide of the post.
...and the same happens again! McAnuff gets down the left, but as soon as the ball comes into the danger area, the hosts deal with it.
Once again, Reading get into a good attacking position, but Sunderland have looked very strong defending their penalty area so far.
Sunderland's front three look lively today. Fletcher will always be a threat, but McClean and Johnson on the wings look eager to take on their men.
Good attacking play by Reading without creating a real chance there. Jay Tabb has the most meaningful effort on goal in that spell, but his shot is blocked. They're starting to grow into this one though.
BOOKING! All aboard the showboat! Fletcher pulls out a special skill to beat Mariappa, who brings him down with a hint of embarrassment at being so comrehensively beaten. He is swiftly put in the book by the ref.
McClean's deep cross finds Johnson who, predictably, tries to cut inside to shoot. This time, however, he complete miscues his effort and it goes out for a throw!
Replays suggest that Rose's foul was actually inside the penalty area. However, it looks like the type of foul that would be given outside the box but not inside. Would've been a very harsh penalty.
CLOSE! Shorey doesn't go for goal, instead just clipping the ball to Pearce, who steers it just past the post.
CLOSE! Sunderland are really in the mood tonight! Gardner nips in to steal the ball before giving it to Sessegnon. His shot is blocked, but Johnson picks the ball up and very nearly squeezes it in at the near post.
CHANCE! Great chance to double their lead for the hosts! Some neat link up play sends Larsson through on goal, but Federici does well to tip his effort wide.
It's a good response from Reading as Nicky Shorey gets two shots on goal in quick succession, both of which are well blocked.
What a start for Sunderland! Federici comes to claim the original corner, but his punch isn't good enough and McClean shoots first time on the turn to beat the Reading keeper!
The hosts have made a positive start to this match, camping inside the Reading half early on, but the Royals rebuff the first wave of Black Cat attacks.
Out blares Elvis Presley's classic 'Can't help falling in love with you'. Always strikes me as a strange pre-match anthem but I'm not complaining!
Right, the teams emerge onto the pitch on a freezing cold night in Sunderland. We're just a matter of minutes away from the start on this one!
It will be interesting to see how Sunderland respond to their current predicament: They haven't been in the bottom three for four years.
Overall, these two sides have met 12 times, both recording five wins apiece with two draws! Very even when it comes to history then!
Ten minutes until kickoff, that means one thing: PREDICTION TIME! Both sides have been struggling for form in recent weeks so there is no clear favorite for this tie. However, I think Sunderland's home advantage will prove decisive, so I'm going for a 2-1 win to the Black Cats!
This is the first time that these two teams have met since December 22, 2007. Reading ran out 2-1 winners on that occasion, avenging Sunderland's victory by the same scoreline earlier that season.
The weekend provided a number of thrilling finishes from the Premier League, most notably in the Manchester derby. Let's hope for some similar excitement tonight!
Reading in particular will have to keep an eye on their second half performance today as that is a big factor in their poor league position. If matches ended at half time this season, the Royals would be 11th. Sunderland, meanwhile, would be 15th, one place above Liverpool.
However, today's match hands both sides an ideal chance to end such poor form and kick-start their season. A win over fellow relegation rivals can really inspire a team to find form. We've seen it before and no doubt we will see it again!
Sunderland have won just once at home all season, also drawing three and losing three at the Stadium of Light, while Reading's away form is eve worse. The Royals have yet to register an away win this season, and have only picked up two points from a possible 24 on their travels.
Remember, it was at a similar time last year that O'Neill arrived at the club and took them soaring up the table. Could the men upstairs be thinking that another fresh face could bring a similar injection of optimism?
Reading's Brian McDermott may not have come under too much pressure so far due to the fact that the Royals were expecting to fight for their survival, but it's safe to say that O'Neill's Sunderland are underperforming so far.
Back to the Stadium of Light and both managers could do with a win tonight not just to improve their league position, but to ease the pressure on themselves as well.
Without taking any of the match's importance away from Sunderland, Reading are probably in need of a win more than the hosts tonight. A loss will see them fall six points from safety, while a win will put them just three points behind the coveted 17th spot.
It may be a bit too early to proclaim this match a relegation six-pointer, but with both sides floundering in the bottom three so far, it certainly carries a lot of significance.
Reading's recent form has been even worse, however. They have won just once in their past 12 matches and have lost their last four! Big job for Brian McDermott to turn that poor form around, and he'll want to do it as soon as possible to avoid being cut adrift at the foot of the table.
Sunderland have taken just one point from their last four games, and that was at home to bottom club Queens Park Rangers. Extending the record, even further, Martin O'Neill's men have won just once in their last 11 games.
Right, let's have a look at these sides' recent form. Look away now fans of either team as it doesn't make pleasant reading!
Reading starting XI: Federici; Shorey, Pearce, Mariappa, Cummings, Leigertwood; McAnuff, McCleary, Tabb; Le Fondre, Hunt
Sunderland starting XI: Mignolet; Rose, O'Shea, Cuellar; Larsson, Gardner, Colback, Johnson, McClean, Sessegnon; Fletcher
Reading, meanwhile, make three changes to their starting XI, bringing in Noel Hunt, Gareth McCleary and Alex Pearce.
OK, it's time to bring you some team news! The big news for the hosts is that top scorer Steven Fletcher returns to the lineup having missed out on Sunderland's defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.
Both sides are in unenviable places in the current Premier League table. Sunderland sit 18th on 13 points - two points from safety - while Reading have amassed just nine points from their 15 games so far this season, a tally that leaves them languishing in 19th place.
