Profligacy of Cats could prove costly
SUNDERLAND’S draw at Charlton Athletic was preceded by a re-run of the famous play-off final penalty shoot-out between the sides of 21 years ago.
Promotion to the Premier League hinged on the original at Wembley - this time round it was fans of both clubs taking the penalties to raise money for charity Veterans in Crisis.
Unlike at Wembley two decades ago, Sunderland won this spot-kick duel 4-1.
How Jack Ross must have wished his team had taken their chances so clinically in the first half at The Valley.
Because while this draw brought the Black Cats to within a point of the top two, they did not capitalise on a game in hand when they could have overtaken second-placed Luton Town and broken into the automatic promotion places for the first time since August.
Yes, they emerged unscathed from a difficult away game against a side which sits immediately below them in the League One table and which itself has designs on promotion.
True, they are just a point behind Luton - who visit Wearside next weekend - and six point behind leaders Portsmouth, still with a game in hand of both.
As Ross reaffirmed after the game in South-East London, he still believes they can reel in Portsmouth over the second half of the season and finish top of the heap.
Yet if they fall short of top spot - or worse, miss out on automatic promotion altogether - it will be days like these which will cost them.
Days when they let their opponents off the hook.
Days when they fail to take advantage while they are in the ascendancy.
That lack of ruthlessness cost Sunderland two points and could have cost them all three.
Yet they should have had the points safely in the bag before half-time.
Luke O’Nien’s goal inside the first two minutes had given them the perfect start and they created enough opportunities to get the job done in the first half - only for Lynden Gooch to be frustrated by the woodwork while Charlie Wyke’s aim was twice found wanting.
Despite the ongoing wrangle over Josh Maja’s contract situation, Ross started his 15-goal leading scorer at Charlton and you just wished the chances had fallen to the man in form.
He did everything else right and the 3,000-plus travelling fans’ applause for him shows he still retains their backing - as he should.
Yet Sunderland’s inability to kill the game off gave Lee Bowyer’s Charlton a second chance, although they made the same mistake as the Black Cats as they proved unable to make the most of it when they were in charge.
They needed a spot of good fortune in the shape of a deflection off Reece James for their equaliser just after the break but after that it was Sunderland who were riding their luck and clinging on.