SUNDERLAND POWER TO DOUBLE DELIGHT
CITY’S DEAF TEAM TARGETS EUROPEAN CHALLENGE ... IF THEY CAN WIN LEAGUE AGAIN
Sunderland Deaf AFC completed a magnificent double by beating Barnet Deaf FC 4-2 in the England Deaf Football Cup final.
And they did it despite playing most of the game with just 10 men after a red card for Robert Keegan.
Sunderland got off to a stunning start when Andy Reay volleyed home from close range after a corner from Alex Brown.
Ryan Thompson then made it 2-0 to the Wearsiders when he raced clear to score.
Barnet pulled one back when Harry Potter’s cross found the net.
Sunderlandsoonrestored the two-goal advantage when Jake Rowan crossed from the right and Keegan met it perfectly to make it 3-1.
Keegan’s game ended soon after when he reacted badly to a Barnet tackle and was sent off in the 38th minute.
Barnet’s hopes of getting back into the game suffered an immediate setback when Andy Reay dribbled past two defence before he was fouled in the penalty area and the ref awarded a penalty. Brian Bell fired into the bottom corner to make it 4-1 to Sunderland.
At half-time, manager Scott Garthwaite changed Sunderland’s formaton to 4-4-1 to hold onto the match with 10 men.
Even so, Barnet scored early in the second period after a mistake by Andrew Farrer led to a penalty which was put away.
Sunderland, though, played out the rest of the game comfortably to seal the cup triumph.
The format for the EDF competition is changing as next season, with the winner of the League Championship guaranteed a place in the Deaf Champions League for 2019.
Manager Garthwaite said: “We are strengthening our squad for next season. The players know their own potential and the team’s potential.
“We are ready to fight again next season because we want to go to Europe to play on the biggest stage in Deaf European Football.
“I will not stop until I fulfil my team’s potential of playing in Europe.”