Sunderland overcame the spirited challenge of Championship strugglers Oxford United at a rain-soaked Kassam Stadium to move into the FA Cup fifth round, Habib Diarra's first-half penalty proving the difference in a 1-0 win.
It was a tie the Premier League side deserved to win, but one in which Matt Bloomfield's much-changed Oxford emerged with credit, particularly in a competitive first half and a closing spell that forced the Wearsiders to cling on.
Two teams of reserves, one sodden afternoon
Regis Le Bris made six alterations from the team that suffered a narrow home defeat to Liverpool, while Bloomfield rang in eight or nine changes from the side beaten by relegation rivals Norwich in midweek. The result was a drab match in sodden surrounds, yet 9,879 spectators created a decent atmosphere all the same.