BALLOONY TUNES; Darren insists there'll never be another goal like winner v Reds.

Byline: CARL ASKEW 

DARREN BENT admits he'll never score a more bizarre goal than the balloon-assisted strike that cost Rafa Benitez the title and possibly his job.

As the hunt started for the teenage Liverpool fan who threw the offending item on to the pitch Bent insisted his fifth-minute winner, that deflected past Pepe Reina will never be repeated.

The striker, who has netted eight in nine starts since his pounds 10million move from Spurs, said: "It was the most bizarre goal I have ever scored but we will take the victory.

"Andy Reid crossed from the right, it fell to me, I took a shot and it hit the balloon and went into the corner. Someone said after the game it should have been a drop ball.

"You just have to smile and move on. It wasn't deliberate. I wasn't aiming for it!

"But it was quite big and in the middle of their penalty area so they should have done something about it. It had a Liverpool badge and came from their fans.

"Five minutes after the goal I was chatting with Glen Johnson and he said he had tried to clear my shot but the balloon was in the way. I just had to smile, he wasn't happy! But we played really well and have shown we can mix it with the best."

Black Cats boss Steve Bruce said: "It's one of the most bizarre incidents I've ever seen in football but I just hope it doesn't overshadow our performance.

"I understand the ball had a Liverpool crest on it and was thrown by one of their supporters.What a shame!" Although the letter of the law says the goal should have been disallowed that shouldn't be allowed to paper over the cracks of Liverpool's deficiencies.

This insipid display was damning of Benitez's reign and proved the Reds are average without their two best players - Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

Liverpool's current form will only be good enough for mid-table, never mind a title challenge. They host Manchester United on Sunday looking to avoid a fifth defeat of the league season that would put them 10 points behind Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

This is a squad that has taken Benitez five years to shape yet now appears to have lost all belief they can deliver the one trophy the Anfield faithful want.

But deflecting from the painful truth, Benitez stalked his technical area blaming Sunderland players for diving.

He went head to head with Bruce in a furious touchline bust-up, claiming his injured players were time-wasting - despite Kenwyne Jones and Lee Cattermole departing on stretchers.

Then there was the hilarious sideshow of Sammy Lee scurrying after the ball to get play started quickly, only for Bruce's No.2 Eric Black to give him a shoulder charge and block his way. Bruce joked: "My dad used to say always pick on the little ones!" If Benitez is unable to mount a sustained challenge in the league this season you have to wonder if Liverpool's owners will decide on a managerial shake-up.

The Spaniard remained defiant, though, and said: "Gerrard and Torres are very important to us but still we have enough quality in the squad. I'm not saying we would be able to win 12 games in a row without Stevie or Fernando but to win games we have enough quality."

Well, they didn't have anywhere near enough to see off Sunderland who are an emerging force. Entertaining, flowing football, two powerful strikers and a team sniffing a top-eight finish.

They thoroughly deserved the victory in which Bent and Steed Malbranque opened up the visiting defence four times for one-on-ones with Reina.

It was left to Jamie Carragher to inject some realism into the debate over Liverpool's fracturing season.

Carragher, whose own poor form remains a problem, admitted Liverpool's campaign is on the brink of failure. He said: "If we continue losing it will be the end.We have given ourselves a mountain to climb but Chelsea also lost.

"There is a seven-point difference with Man United but we can't think about the title right now.We have to concentrate on the next league game, which is Man United, and that will give us the chance to claw some points back.

"We have to restore our confidence and do much better.We are not playing well."

Sunderland's aggressive high-pressure game squeezed the life out of Liverpool who took 73 minutes to open up their opponents, whenYossi Benayoun shot, and 10 more before AndriyVoronin got a header on target.

During seven minutes of injury-time Scotland keeper Craig Gordon had to make a brilliant double save from Dirk Kuyt and David Ngog.

So add Sunderland to the list of Spurs, Villa and Chelsea who have turned over Benitez's side this season.

They have not scored for three games, four-and-a-half hours. If the slump continues the manager's time may be up.

CAPTION(S):

Bent hits the winner via red balloon and, below left, Benitez and Bruce in a bust-up