SUNDERLAND ................................................................ 1 Cats’ last chance of survival snuffed out
FROM DELIGHT TO DESPAIR IN 10 MINUTES OF MAYHEM
SUNDERLAND’S relegation to League One was confirmed in a crazy finale at the Stadium of Light. yesterday
Paddy McNair’s first-half goal had put the Black Cats on course for a victory which would have brought Chris Coleman’s men to within three points of safety, and kept their survival hopes alive.
But everything changed in a 10-minute spell at the end of the game.
First former Sunderland striker Darren Bent came off the bench to head Burton level five minutes from the end of normal time.
The Black Cats then hit the woodwork, only for Liam Boyce to head the Brewers in front in the second minute of added time.
Sunderland thought they had rescued a point in the final minute of injury time through McNair — which would have kept them in the hunt, albeit with only a tiny chance of success — only for referee Darren England to rule the ‘goal’ out for hand ball against the midfielder.
That leaves Sunderland rock bottom of the table with 34 points, six points behind fourth-bottom Bolton Wanderers, with two games to go.
Birmingham’s win over Sheffield United means Sunderland can no longer catch the Blues, and with Burton on 38 points ahead of their game against Bolton next weekend, one of those two sides will also put themselves out of reach.
Sunderland’s fate is now sealed, and the club will play in the third tier for only the second time in its 139-year history.
Coleman made three changes to the side that started last weekend’s draw at Reading.
Lee Camp paid the price for his costly error at the Madejski Stadium, with Jason Steele taking over from him in goal, while fit-again John O’Shea and Billy Jones replaced the injured duo of Bryan Oviedo and Donald Love.
Burton boss Nigel Clough made two changes to the team that began the Brewers’ home win over Derby County last weekend with Damien McCrory and Tom Naylor came into Sunderland’s Paddy McNair is congratulated on scoring his team’s opening goal during the the side in place of Ben Turner and Jake Buxton.
It was a nervy affair in the early stages, which was perhaps understandable given the importance of the game to both sides.
Luke Murphy saw an early shot from range saved and held by Steele, while at the other end McNair drew a similarly routine save from Stephen Bywater.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between, but when one finally fell Sunderland’s way in the 34th minute, McNair seized the moment.
Ashley Fletcher cut into the penalty area from the left and while he could not work space for a shot, he instead teed up McNair just outside the box and his low drive was close to Bywater but the diving keeper managed to allow the ball to pass under him and find the net.
Burton should have levelled a couple of minutes before half-time when Lucas Akins’ cross from the right found Joe Sbarra completely unmarked at the far post, but rather than take a touch he decided to take on the volley and scuffed it well wide of the target from only six yards out.
Burton stepped up the pressure in the second half, and Jacob Davenport tested Steele with a shot from range just after the restart but the keeper was equal to it.
Aiden McGeady sent a shot wide just after the hour, and ten minutes later McGeady and McNair saw shots blocked in an almighty scramble inside the Burton penalty area.
Sunderland were just minutes from clinching victory when Bent struck.
Hope Akpan’s shot from just outside the box was saved by Steele diving low to his right, but when the ball bounced up Bent got in front of Clarke-Salter to head home the rebound from close range.