Sunderland 1-0 Bradford City: Aiden McGeady clinches a crucial win

Sunderland were watched by an astonishing crowd of more than 46,000 as they boosted their chances of escaping from League One at the first attempt.

Aiden McGeady scored the first-half goal that lifted Jack Ross's side within five points of leaders Portsmouth with two games in hand.

They deserved their three points against a stubborn and well-drilled Bradford side in a game that will always be remembered because of the remarkable attendance of 46,039 at the Stadium of Light.

It was beaten by only two Premier League games yesterday and was even more than Tottenham attracted to Wembley for their meeting with Bournemouth.

No third tier game has been watched by more fans since a Sheffield derby 39 years ago - and it was the division's biggest by nearly 8,000 since all-seater stadia were introduced.

Many in the crowd were watching Sunderland for this first time this season - and must have liked what they witnessed, particularly in the opening half.

Nobody would have impressed them more than Josh Maja, the striker who will be 20 on Saturday and is already attracting interest from Premier League clubs.

Maja has scored 13 times this season and twice went close to adding more inside the opening 12 minutes.

He fired across the face of the goal in the eighth minute and was even close to scoring when he diverted Bryan Oviedo's cross inches wide with the outside of his foot.

With Lynden Gooch also narrowly off-target with a shot from the edge of the area, Sunderland looked in the mood to entertain their massive crowd.

Bradford might have folded under such pressure a few weeks ago, but they have developed greater resilience under their latest manager David Hopkin.

They have scored nine goals while taking seven points from their last three league games, with Jack Payne emerging as their main danger man.

And Payne, on loan from Huddersfield, almost stunned the home fans when he surged into the area before driving a shot narrowly wide after 25 minutes.

It proved to be the closest that Bradford came to a goal in a first-half that ended with them trailing as Sunderland finally made the most of their superior possession.

Bradford survived when Richard O'Donnell saved from Jack Baldwin in the 27th minute, but the keeper was beaten four minutes later by McGeady.

Maja was involved again with a deflected shot that O'Donnell, under pressure from Chris Maguire, could only push out to McGeady, who drilled in his seventh goal of the season.

The Irishman almost made it eight in the final moments of the half with a long-range shot that troubled O'Donnell, who managed to shovel away the ball after it bounced awkwardly in front of him.

O'Donnell had a quieter time in the second-half, although he was grateful for the intervention of Adam Chicksen in the 56th minute when the defender cleared as Lee Cattermole prepared to turn in a Lynden Gooch cross.

There was a scare for Sunderland seconds later when Bradford's David Ball went down inside the area, but referee Darren England rejected his furious claims for a penalty.

And Bradford were even anger eight minutes from the end when they claimed Payne's shot had gone over the line before it was clawed back by keeper Jon McLau