BLACK CATS CLAIM BRAGGING RIGHTS

The controversial midfielder was targeted by home fans as he warmed up on the sidelines during the second half of a pulsating Wear-Tyne derby.

Barton eventually arrived on the pitch as an 84th-minute replacement for Nicky Butt but, by that point, the drama had already unfolded.

Kieran Richardson was the hero when, a week after twice being denied with free-kicks at Fulham, he smashed home a stunning winner from a similar position with 15 minutes remaining.

Djibril Cisse had earlier given the home side a 20th-minute lead, although that was cancelled out by Shola Ameobi within 10 minutes.

Ameobi, who had not scored in two years before Monday's draw with Manchester City, might have doubled his tally 13 minutes after the break, but substitute Kenwyne Jones headed just over and Cisse hit the post as the home side threatened to win more comfortably in front of a passionate sell-out crowd of 47,936.

With Sunderland in the ascendancy, the opening goal arrived with 20 minutes gone when Steed Malbranque, whose link up with full-back Pascal Chimbonda down the right caused all sorts of problems for the Magpies, drilled the ball across goal for Cisse to slide in and divert it past Shay Given.

However, man of the moment Ameobi got his side back on terms, rising unopposed to power a 30th-minute header past keeper Marton Fulop, earning a rare start in place of the injured Craig Gordon.

Richardson sealed it with 15 minutes remaining when, after Butt had been penalised on the edge of the box, he smashed the resulting free-kick into the top corner.