Collins sees Sunderland progress

Collins returned to the side for the defeat by Portsmouth a fortnight ago

Sunderland defender Danny Collins is confident the club are over the wobble which saw them drop into the bottom three of the Premier League.

Defeats by Chelsea and then Portsmouth tipped the Wearsiders into the drop zone but Collins is confident the win against Blackburn has restored belief.

"Looking at the table there's a couple of gaps starting to appear," he told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"And two or three results will keep us up there."

Collins was a spectator after being dropped for the Chelsea defeat but was restored to the side for the Portsmouth and Blackburn games.

And the Welsh international knows that those matches, along with Saturday's visit of West Ham provide crucial opportunities to gather vital points for climbing the Premier League.

"The disappointment of the Portsmouth game, we need to be picking points up against teams like that," he said.

"With West Ham coming at the weekend, they're the stepping stone for where we need to be getting to, that tenth place mark, and they'll be a good test for us.

"We've done the hard work at Blackburn and if we go and throw it away at the weekend then we're shooting ourselves in the foot really."

Sunderland are currently 11th in the Premier League on 15 points, just two clear of Blackburn who occupy a place in the relegation zone.