Rain wipes out
SKY BET LEAGUE ONE STANLEY........................... 1 SUNDERLAND ................. 1 JOSH COOK
CONNOR Hall scored what he thought was the first Football league goal of his career on Saturday, only for the conditions to become so bad, referee Oliver Langford had no choice but to abandon the match with 20 minutes still left to play.
Hall’s strike levelled the scores after Chris Maguire had given The Black Cats the lead in farcical fashion just after the hour.
After an afternoon of uncertainty regarding the pitch the game was given the go-ahead as a record crowd of 5,257 descended onto the Crown Ground for what would be a ferocious occasion of footballing prowess. John Coleman made three changes to the side that beat Cheltenham in the FA Cup one week earlier, with Offrande Zanzala, Nick Anderton, and Ross Sykes coming in place of Ben Richards-Everton, Seamus Conneely and Michael Ihiekwe who had taken a knock in training during the week.
It was the away side who moved the ball better in the early goings, Josh Maja beat Nick Anderton in the air for strength eight yards out, but his header had enough legs to make its way into the hands of the onrushing Connor Ripley.
The on-loan Middles- brough keeper claiming the ball at the second time of asking after it wriggled from his grasp in the soaking wet conditions.
Stanley were becoming stretched down the right, and Maja was causing real problems for Anderton in soggy conditions. He wriggled free once again and played the ball into an unmarked Aiden McGeady.
The ex-Everton man controlled well with his body only for his volley to sail above Ripley’s crossbar. A let off for Stanley.
Jordan Clark had Stanley’s best chance yet, meeting a poor clearance header 30 yards out, he dropped his shoulder to the right and struck the ball towards the far corner.
Unfortunately, it was off target and too quick for the onrushing Zanzala to try to direct goalward. Stanley, however, had come alive.
Sam Finley was next to try his luck.
After a scramble in the box after continuous Accrington pressure the midfielder attempted to lob Jon McLaughlin in the visiting goal. His effort just had enough to beat McLaughlin’s crossbar too.
There was just enough time for Jordan Clark to drive over the bar one last time in similar circumstances to send the home team in at half time wondering how they weren’t in front.
It had, though, been a fantastic spectacle which was to reach biblical proportions in the second period.
Stanley came out strong once more, second only to the rain, which made visibility and standard of football quite poor.
This reached laughable levels when Ripley received a back pass on the hour.
He dwelled on the ball at the edge of his box, taking several touches which allowed Chris Maguire enough time to advance, block his attempt at a clearance and see the ball hit the back of the net. Shouts for handball were waved away and Sunderland to the delight of 2,600 travelling fans.
Just as the weather may have made a difference in the first goal, the equaliser too was aided by the water levels.
Sunderland failed to clear on the left-hand side of their box and Daniel Barlaser drove a cross low into McLaughlin’s reach.
The stopper was unable to cling on, and after a scramble which saw Sean McConville and Finley have attempts blocked it was Hall who struck to get his football league tally underway.
Two minutes later McConville found himself clean through on goal, but McLaughlin was again equal to his effort.
Then, on 72 minutes, Langford finally made the call to end the game prematurely.
It will have to be played again, with only a yellow card for Ross Sykes being taken on in the record books.
The abandoned game moved Coleman’s men down to 12th in League 1 before a trip to Southendon-Sea this weekend, with the side hoping to record their first win in over two months.
The Shrimpers sit two points behind Stanley in the table but have played one game more.