Sunderland have moved three points clear of the relegation zone after holding Stoke City to a 1-1 draw despite being forced to play most of the game with 10 men.

The visitors took the lead after just nine minutes when Jonathan Walters poked the ball past Simon Mignolet at the second attempt having been found by Charlie Adam's corner.

Adam was also involved in the game's next big talking point as he was on the receiving end of a heavy Craig Gardner tackle. The referee adjudged the foul to be a dangerous one and showed Gardner a straight red card.

Sunderland came close to restoring parity right on the stroke of half time when Adam Johnson let fly from a free kick, but his effort fizzed just past the post.

Stoke almost doubled their lead just before the hour mark when Peter Crouch and Adam combined to tee up Cameron Jerome, but his goal-bound effort was well blocked.

It was the hosts who got the game's crucial second goal, however. Dean Whitehead got a touch to a Sebastian Larsson's corner, inadvertently flicking it on to John O'Shea, who poked it under Asmir Begovic at the back post.

Whitehead almost made amends with 15 minutes left when he hit a well-struck shot from the edge of the area, but it was straight at Mignolet, who managed to hold on.

Sunderland then came within inches of nicking all three points in the 80th minute when Danny Rose cut inside from the left and fired a shot towards the near post. Begovic was nowhere near the ball as it flicked off the outside of the post on its way out.

Neither side could find a dramatic late winner in the closing stages as Sunderland picked up a point that lifts them up to 15th in the Premier League table.