Thirteen proved lucky for Sunderland as Kevin Phillips fired them to Premiership safety.

The England striker slotted home his 13th goal of the season 17 minutes into a tense encounter with relegated Derby to ease Peter Reid's fears of the drop.

But the Wearsiders had to make do with a point from their last fixture when substitute Marvin Robinson levelled on 68 minutes to deny the home side a morale-boosting victory at the end of a poor campaign.

Liverpool's crushing victory over Ipswich condemned the Suffolk side to the final relegation place, but Sunderland will at least take some comfort from the fact that they would have stayed up even if George Burley's men had won at Anfield.

The Black Cats also hit the woodwork twice in an encouraging first-half display and Derby keeper Mart Poom made several fine saves, but the lack of goals which has troubled them all season - today's was just their 29th in the league - hit home once again.

The home fans turned out in force for a game they knew their side could not afford to lose and ready to accept victory no matter how it came.

But they were pleasantly surprised to find a side which has laboured through much of a difficult campaign not only in determined mood but ready to play their football.

With Claudio Reyna orchestrating things from the middle of the park and Republic of Ireland Under-21 international Thomas Butler signalling his intention from the off to run at Warren Barton, the Black Cats provided some genuine entertainment in an encouraging first half.

And as they got their teeth into the game, the men around them grew in confidence, finally providing the type of service upon which strike partners Phillips and Niall Quinn have thrived in recent years.

Butler almost gave the home side the perfect start when, with just eight minutes gone, he cut inside Barton and fired a right-foot shot against the post with Quinn unable to turn the rebound home.

Phillips then volleyed inches wide from a Butler cross, but he did not have long to wait for a chance to make amends.

Quinn's 17th-minute pass allowed him to race clear from the Derby defence, but he uncharacteristically allowed the ball to become trapped under his feet, giving Barton the time he needed to get in a block.

However, the former Newcastle defender then contrived to gift possession to the England striker once again, and he made no mistake from close range to ease the nerves both on the pitch and in the stands.

Danny Higginbotham had to hack a Quinn effort off the line with 26 minutes gone and Poom tipped a dipping drive from Phillips over the bar four minutes before the break.

But the woodwork came to the Estonian keeper's rescue seconds later after Phillips latched on to Kevin Kilbane's flick but could not find the back of the net.

The visitors served up little in their attacking half of the field, although Thomas Sorensen was kept on his toes by a 30th-minute header from Ian Evatt which forced a good save.

John Gregory's side stepped up a gear after the break as the game became increasingly scrappy with neither side really threatening. Poom had to make a solid save from Butler after he cut in from the left again and chanced his arm from distance, but the Derby keeper was mainly occupied in dealing with a series of crosses which did not cause him any great concern.

Jody Craddock powered a header over from Quinn's flick-on and Michael Gray sliced his shot wide after playing a one-two with the Irishman, but the urgency of the first-half seemed to have dissipated as the news from Anfield filtered through.

The home fans in a bumper crowd of 47,989 started to grow restless as their team went through a difficult patch, and the atmosphere darkened with 68 minutes gone when a mistake by Darren Williams let Robinson in and he shot past Sorensen to level.

Kilbane could have laid a second goal on a plate for Phillips three minutes later but instead shot straight at Poom from a tight angle, and Craddock put another header over the bar, but it was substitute Patrick Mboma who went closest for the home side.

Poom pulled off an excellent save to keep out his 77th-minute diving header and then got down well to claim a low drive two minutes later.

But he excelled himself at the death to keep out Reyna's deflected volley to deny the home side a victory.

The final whistle brought both cheers of relief and boos of disappointment, but sections of the home support stayed on to voice their frustration after the final whistle.

Teams:

Sunderland: Sorensen, Gray, Craddock, Bjorklund, Williams, Butler, Reyna, McAteer, Kilbane, Quinn (Mboma 71), Phillips.

Subs Not Used: Macho, Thirlwell, Bellion, McCartney.

Goals: Phillips 17.

Derby: Poom, Zavagno (Jackson 73), Higginbotham, Riggott, Barton, Boertien (Twigg 66), Lee, Evatt, Bolder, Strupar (Robinson 58), Christie.

Subs Not Used: Foletti, Grenet.

Booked: Barton.

Goals: Robinson 68.

Att: 47,989

Ref: A Wiley (Burntwood).