Cats think worst so worst tends to happen

by Lee Camp (right), leading to a first-half penalty for Reading yesterday from Jan Kermogant in second-half stoppage time but good as it was, it could not make up for the damage of his earlier error.

That the goalkeeper at the other end was better only added to the frustration. Sunderland had Vito Mannone on their books before they brought in Camp, Jason Steele or Robbin Ruiter. The £2m they received from Reading is not looking like great business now.

MCMANAMAN STATES HIS CASE BUT CANNOT SEAL THE DEAL

BACK-TO-BACK McManaman in starts for Callum early march have

Seemingly blanked from Coleman’s mind for the first two months of the year, Gooch was suddenly back in fashion, and his performances over four consecutive games justified it.

When the American went down with a knee injury, McManaman finally got his chance. Asoro was told to sit on the bench, at least until the Merseysider ran out of steam in the final quarter of an hour.

McManaman responded. In a first half where the Black Cats were the better team, he was their most eye-catching player.

When McManaman gets the ball at

There was definitely a tangle of legs, although it was unclear who initiated it. It was surprising Sunderland’s penalty appeals were not more forceful.

He was not deterred, showing good determination to create another chance for himself after 41 minutes, only to blaze it well off target.

Not surprisingly with so little football under his belt, he struggled to maintain the same threat after the interval, and made way for Asoro with a quarter of an hour left. SUNDERLAND’S fragility turns their fear of conceding into a self-fulfilling prophecy, according to Chris Coleman.

The Black Cats came from behind to lead at Reading thanks to a stunning strike from Paddy McNair and a collectors’ item goal from Lee Cattermole, only to concede 10 minutes from time and draw 2-2.

It was the third time in the space of a week that Sunderland have dropped points from winning positions, and it means their survival fight will almost certainly end in failure.

Sunderland were pegged back after taking the lead at Leeds United last weekend, and again at home to Norwich City in midweek, with both those games ending in 1-1 draws.

And their inability to hang on against the Royals saw them slip back to the foot of the table, and while the gap to safety remains six points, there are only three games to go.

“That’s three games running we have done enough to win, and then given it up,” said Coleman.

“It’s critical for us at this stage of the season.

“The performance and the mentality were spot-on, it’s just the fine details that we haven’t taken care of all season.

“To go from 1-0 down to 2-1 up, we haven’t done that too many times this season, and at that stage I can’t say we were in too much difficulty – if anything, I thought we were going to score again.

“But to be fair, their second was a great header by Yann Kermorgant from a great cross.

“It’s disappointing to give up two points again but it’s because we are a team that have been down there for some time, and when you have those kind of pressurised moments in a game and normally you would deal with them, we have the feeling we will get punished and we do get punished.

“When the three points is there for you with 20

minutes to go, every his feet, his first thought is to run at With his side defending a 1-0 lead, McManaman’s team a penalty when little thing counts. players. It did not seem to matter to the centre-back did brilliantly when he crumpled in a heap in Reading’s “You want them him whether he went outside or inside Fletcher’s shot bounced off the base of penalty area. An unimpressed to go your way Omar Richards. The end product was the post on to McManaman’s left foot. Steve Martin waved play on. and they go much better when he went right. His effort had decent placement and McManaman’s hunger to take against you.

McManaman has just three career power, but it also had Moore’s head on on his man continued into the “We are goals since he left Wigan in 2015, and the end of it as he covered behind his second half but the needle on subconsciousfinishing was his downfall. goalkeeper. his petrol tank was edging ly thinking

The first chance fell to his favoured A 41st-minute effort was far less towards red. When the game about it, and foot, George Honeyman backheeling impressive, a real “swinger” on his was there to be won in a frenetic it happens – into his path after a good link-up with wrong foot. Another attempted finish, he was watching from the they go against Ashley Fletcher us.” after 13 minutes. He equaliser was smothered at the end of bench. dragged it wide. the half, conceding a corner SunderUltimately, he was unable to put Coleman added:

It had a lot more to do with Liam land could not use. his stamp on the match but he did “When there’s only Moore than him that he failed to find His willingness to put defenders not head home without having made one goal in it, we the net midway through the first half. under pressure might have won an impression. concede.” been the winger’s only ones since the FA Cup third-round tie at Middlesbrough. Even now Sunderland have finally switched to a formation with wingers, Lynden Gooch has sped past him.

But with the USA international missing with a knee injury, McManaman made a good impression in everything but his finishing.

McManaman’s willingness to come in on his left foot was one of the features of his first half, but unfortunately so was his inability to make the most of it.

He was in the action in the 13th min- ute, George Honeyman backheeling the ball into his path, only for the Scouser to drag his shot wide.

When the rebound from Ashley Fletcher’s shot against the base of the post came out to him, McManaman looked to have done everything right, only for Moore to brilliantly head off the line.

After half an hour McManaman surged inside and with two Reading players around him, went down in the area. That he appeared to be looking for a penalty right from the minute he picked up the ball seemed to count against him.

MCNAIR KEEPS DELIVERING

IF keeping Paddy McNair fit has been this season’s challenge, just keeping him will be the task this summer.

Of all his performances this season, this was perhaps the Northern Ireland international’s most subdued, but he produced possibly the best goal his side have scored all season.

Two minutes into the second half he smashed the ball home from around 35 yards, a real bolt from the blue.

When Cattermole followed up with a header from Aiden McGeady’s corner, it looked like Sunderland might, for the first time this season, win a game where they conceded the first goal.

Or at least it would have, if you did not know the Black Cats.

McNair looks a real class act at Championship level, and Sunderland are about to drop down a division.

Unlike his team, he deserves to be staying at this level, but his injury record could county against him.

To all the rival managers reading this (as we all know, there will be loads), don’t bother with him, he’s a crick. Nothing to see here.

WOODEN SPOON GAME NEXT

THE Black Cats are six points from safety with only three games to play. Not going to happen.

But with Burton Albion moving above Sunderland in the table, Saturday’s game at the Stadium of Light has become a game which could decide who finishes bottom of this season’s table.

The Black Cats beat the Brewers back in Coleman’s first week in charge, in those dim and distant days when it has come to this.

For the biggest club in the division to be fighting it out with the smallest like two bald men scrapping over a comb really shows where the Wearsiders have fallen to 12 months after they played in the Premier League.