SUNDERLAND ......................................................... 0 Faithful fans head for exit as Black Cats shown door
MATCH STATS
SUNDERLAND’S stay in the Premier League is over, 10 years to the day after they secured promotion.
The Black Cats’ 1-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth, coupled with Hull City’s draw at Southampton, sealed the Wearsiders’ fate – exactly a decade after a Crystal Palace win over Derby County had confirmed promotion for Roy Keane’s side.
On a day when the atmosphere could have turned toxic, the fans got behind the team and the mood only soured when Josh King’s winning goal went in two minutes from time.
Sunderland had to at least match Hull’s result on the South Coast and seconds after King had scored there was more late drama when the Saints won a penalty against the Tigers - but it was saved and that spelled doom for the Black Cats.
In truth, however, even if Hull had lost it would only have meant a stay of execution for Sunderland.
The game was watched by the lowest league game of the season at the Stadium of Light – 38,394 – and many supporters headed for the exits as soon as King scored, those who remained chanting “We want Moyes out”, and “Are you watching, Ellis Short?”
Sunderland have been walking a tightrope for five seasons and they have finally taken a fall.
Moyes was forced into making four changes to the side which started the midweek defeat at Middlesbrough.
Lee Cattermole, Darron Gibson, and Jason Denayer all failed fitness tests, while Billy Jones missed out through illness.
Donald Love replaced Jones at right-back and Lamine Kone came in for Denayer, Steven Pienaar and Fabio Borini filling the midfield berths vacated by Cattermole and Gibson.
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe made one change to the side which thrashed Boro 4-0 last weekend. Lewis Cook came into the starting XI in place of former Newcastle United midfielder Dan Gosling, who missed out with a calf injury.
Bournemouth put Sunderland under pressure early on, winning a series of corners and with Daniels working Jordan Pickford from range.
The Black Cats worked the first clear opening after 10 minutes, Borini’s swerving shot forcing Artur Boruc to parry awkwardly straight to the lurking Jermain Defoe but the striker could not re-adjust his feet quickly enough and could only send Bournemouth players celebrate the his effort wide. The crossbar came to Sunderland’s rescue 10 minutes later when King burst into the area and his curling shot left Pickford a spectator - but the ball came back off the woodwork and bounced down for the goalkeeper to grab.
Sunderland broke upfield but Defoe could not find his strike partner Victor Anichebe when Bournemouth were stretched at the back.
Defoe had a great chance on the half-hour when Didier Ndong’s header into the box dropped over the defence and the England man met it on the stretch six yards out.