Marcus Allback emerged the Aston Villa hero by firing home the priceless goal which ensures Graham Taylor's side will again be playing Premiership football next season.

Sweden star Allback, who shook off a thigh injury sustained while on international duty in midweek, maintained his current hot streak by scoring his fourth goal in as many matches.

But Villa were made to sweat until the 80th minute, not only by a Sunderland side who did not deserve to suffer a 14th successive league defeat, but also by the other Premiership team in claret and blue - West Ham.

At one stage, Villa and Taylor were staring at the dreaded prospect of a potential relegation showdown at Leeds next Sunday as the Hammers were continuing their stunning great escape act with a 1-0 Upton Park victory over Champions-League chasing Chelsea.

But then Allback finally released the gnawing tension which had gripped Villa Park by rifling home a multi-million pound rocket, ensuring condemned and rock-bottom Sunderland will be relegated with the lowest points tally in Premiership history.

One of the surprises of the game was that it took until 10 minutes from time for the deadlock to be broken for the goalless scoreline at the interval did not do justice to the catalogue of chances spurned in the first half.

Villa looked like a side glancing over their shoulder at the relegation picture below them, while Sunderland made it clear they were not intent to simply roll over and die.

Ronny Johnsen was involved in the first and last chances of the opening 45 minutes, initially inadvertently in the way of a goalbound header from Ian Taylor, the veteran midfielder starting his first game since January 18.

The Norwegian should have broken the deadlock 10 minutes before the break, but his rising shot grazed the top of the crossbar.

The frustration swept around Villa Park, and no wonder for in between Sunderland played arguably some of their best football since manager Mick McCarthy took charge in mid-March.

Peter Enckelman was first smartly down to a low, angled drive from Kevin Kyle after being fed by Kevin Phillips, both players fit after shaking off groin and rib injuries respectively.

After Darius Vassell, preferred up front to benched 14-goal leading scorer Dion Dublin, had ripped a curling 20-yarder narrowly wide, the occasionally calamitous Enckelman came close to another gaffe in the ninth minute.

His poor clearance deflected off Kyle into the path of a grateful Gavin McCann who rifled a 25-yarder at Villa's number one who was forced to tip the powerful shot over the bar.

Allback should have given Villa the lead 90 seconds later after McCann had unwittingly nudged a piercing through ball from Lee Hendrie into his path.

But the Swede, left with only Mart Poom to beat, dragged his 15-yard shot wide, the direct result of which was an increase in the tension.

Hendrie then curled wide after being set up by Staunton and Allback, the latter following that by firing a crisp shot into the sidenetting as, at that stage, Villa looked the more likely side to score.

But Sunderland proved there is life in their decaying Premiership bones after all as they then made Villa struggle, and forcing Enckelman into his busiest period of the game.

Comfortable stops from Phillips and Kevin Kilbane were followed by the save of the match in the 25th minute, although Villa's defending left a lot to be desired.

Phillips was allowed a run at will, taking on and beating Jlloyd Samuel, resulting in the goal opening up and a directed left-foot curler intent for the bottom right-hand corner, only for Enckelman to brilliantly tip away at full stretch.

The Finn was beaten, though, just before the hour when Kyle latched onto a long crossfield ball by lashing a left-foot half-volley at an angle onto the top of Enckelman's crossbar.

Kyle was then guilty of profligacy in the 75th minute, sidefooting wide a sitter from 12 yards after Phillips had paved the way for glory with a knockdown header to a cross from Chris Black, the 20-year-old making his debut.

It proved costly, and the arrival of Joey Gudjonsson a minute later - for the limping Oyvind Leonhardsen - proved timely as he fashioned the opportunity for Allback to ease Villa's fears.

Teams:

Aston Villa: Enckelman, Samuel, Mellberg, Johnsen, Staunton, Leonhardsen (Gudjonsson 77), Hendrie (Dublin 74), Taylor, Hitzlsperger (Whittingham 57), Vassell, Allback.

Subs Not Used: Postma, Moore.

Goals: Allback 80.

Sunderland: Poom, Williams, Craddock, Bjorklund, Gray, Black (Proctor 85), McCann, Thornton, Kilbane, Kyle (Flo 84), Phillips.

Subs Not Used: Sorensen, McCartney, Ryan.

Booked: Phillips.

Att: 36,963

Ref: S Dunn (Avon).