CATS’ FIRST AID
Mcgeady header salvages a point
SUNDERLAND’S sputtering home form looks like condemning them to a fourth season in football’s third tier.
The fallen Wearside giants stretched their winless run at the Stadium of Light to six games, which keeps them languishing in mid-table.
And their latest manager Lee Johnson looks no nearer solving the problem than so many of his predecessors with the goal-shy Black Cats having scored more than one goal on home soil just once this term. So the writing was on the wall within 13 minutes when Reece Burke fired Hull ahead. Aiden Mcgeady equalised eight minutes later but neither side was able to grab the winner with the Tigers failing to close the gap on leaders Lincoln.
When Tom Eaves hobbled off just before half-time, it capped an eventful – and forgettable – 40 minutes for the Hull striker.
He will still be wondering how he didn’t find the net in the 26th minute when the impressive Mallik Wilks found him unmarked in the box, but from just six yards he crashed a header against the bar.
Nine minutes later, Eaves was denied at point-blank range by Sunderland keeper Lee Burge, who clawed away his header after another Wilks delivery.
Burge will have been relieved to make that save having been at fault for Tigers’ opener.
He’d received lengthy treatment early on when Wilks’ boot accidentally clipped his head as the pair challenged for a loose ball.
He failed to deal with a George Honeyman free-kick, the ball bouncing off his shoulder and falling invitingly at the feet of Burke.
Sunderland equalised with a well- worked goal. Grant Leadbitter found Jack Diamond who clipped the ball towards the far post where Mcgeady found the net with a header.
Burge did not emerge for the second half and 11 minutes after the restart, Sunderland should have led but Charlie Wyke couldn’t steer Max Power’s cross over the line. SUND’LAND: Burge 5 (Matthews 45, 6); Mclaughlin 5 (Gooch 45, 6), Wright 6, Sanderson 6, Mcfadzean 6; Power 6, Leadbitter 7, Scowen 6; Diamond 7 (Maguire 75), Wike 6 (Graham 75), Mcgeady 7 (Embleton 75). Unused subs: O’brien, Younger. HULL CITY: Long 6; Jones 6 (Lewis-potter 66, 6), Burke 6, Greaves 6; Emmanuel 6, Smallwood 6, Honeyman 7, Docherty 6, Fleming 6 (Elder 84); Wilks 8, Eaves 5 (Magennis 41, 5). Unused subs: Ingram, Coyle, Slater, Lewis-potter, Mayer. MAN OF THE MATCH: Mallik Wike. A major threat with his wide delivery. REFEREE: Scott Oldham 6.