TITUS BRAMBLE was delighted to scupper the headlines by denying Sunderland transfer target Danny Graham a last-gasp winner.
Graham looked set to steal the points for Swansea in stoppage time at the Stadium of Light, but Bramble produced a dramatic last-gasp challenge to block the shot of the Swansea striker, who is closing in on a move to Wearside ahead of tomorrow’s transfer deadline.
Bramble told the Gazette: “It look like the headlines were already written.
“But as a defender, you’ve got to throw your body at the ball and hope for the best. Luckily it’s hit me and didn’t go in the goal.”
Bramble’s late contribution capped a fifth successive start for the 31-year-old – his longest run of first-team action since February 2011.
And the former Newcastle centre-half, whose Sunderland contract expires in the summer, admits he is enjoying the benefits of regular competitive action after being beset by niggling injury problems over the last 18 months.
“No one likes to be out of the team,” said Bramble. “But you’ve just got to work hard in training and when you get your chance, you’ve got to try to take it.
“Before I’ve played and then gone back out of the team.
“But now I’ve played four or five games, my confidence is high and we’re not getting beat either.
“The last year or so I’ve come in and then got injured after two or three games which has been disappointing. Maybe it’s my age, I’m not getting any younger!
“But it’s been good to play over the last few weeks without getting any injuries.”
Bramble had few complaints over the scoreline last night after admitting Sunderland didn’t provide an adequate goal threat, with Seb Larsson’s free-kick the only effort on target from the Black Cats.
Although Bramble was far from downhearted at a draw with the Capital One Cup finalists, he knows Sunderland must analyse why they offered such a minimal threat going forwards.
“I think it was a fair result,” added the defender.
“Swansea are full of confidence after what they did to Chelsea.
“Maybe before the game, you would have taken a point, but being at home we would have liked to have created more.
“But that wasn’t the case and the main thing was we didn’t get beat.
“They just keep the ball for fun and you’ve got to keep concentrating and try to minimise their chances.
“But when we get back in today, the thing we’ll look at is the chances and why we didn’t create as many chances as we have been doing.
“That was disappointing, but the positive was we didn’t get beat.”
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