Cats battle back but more points dropped
SUNDERLAND’S promotion stutter continued as the Black Cats dropped points at home for the second time in four days.
The Black Cats had to fight back from 2-0 down to force a draw against an Accrington Stanley side that arrived on Wearside having gone 639 minutes without a league goal.
Their drought came to an end on the half-hour when Billy Kee scored from the penalty spot after a poor challenge by Jack Baldwin on Paul Smyth.
And it was Smyth who gave his side a two-goal advantage just after half-time.
But the introduction of Chris Maguire from the bench immediately after Smyth’s goal changed the course of the game.
Skipper George Honeyman pulled a goal back within minutes with Maguire heavily involved, and then the Scot provided the assist for Aiden McGeady to level just after the hour.
But Sunderland were unable to find a winner, and instead were left to rue the golden chances spurned by Will Grigg and Charlie Wyke earlier in the match. Sunderland move up to third in the table and are now three points outside the automatic promotion places, but they have now drawn seven of their last nine league games and their promotion challenge is suffering from a serious lack of momentum.
Jack Ross made one change to the side that started the midweek draw against Blackpool.
Wyke came into the side in place of Duncan Watmore, with the latter not yet able to play two games in four days after recovering from a long-term injury.
Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman also made one change, in his case to the side that lost at Scunthorpe United at the weekend.
Defender Ross Sykes came into the side in place of Ben Richards-Everton.
Sunderland saw plenty of the ball in the early stages but their finishing was wayward, with McGeady twice missing the target from inside the penalty area inside the first 10 minutes.
But Grigg should have given the Black Cats the lead on 13 minutes when Reece James cut the ball back from the byline on the left to the unmarked striker 10 yards out, but he sidefooted wide of the right-hand post. Accrington had given Sunderland a scare soon after kick-off when Sykes headed over from a corner, and they had looked a threat on the break.
And they went in front on the half-hour as Smyth was brought crashing down by Baldwin’s clumsy challenge, and Kee beat McLaughlin from the penalty spot.
Sunderland looked very edgy after the goal, with Baldwin looking particularly nervous.
But the Black Cats should have had a penalty at the other end five minutes before the break when a Grant Leadbitter corner hit Sykes’ raised elbow just before Jimmy Dunne could make contact, but referee Darren Drysdale was unmoved by their protests.
It could have got worse for the Wearsiders before the interval when Smyth outpaced Dunne and it needed a smart save from McLaughlin to deny him.
Wyke should have levelled five minutes into the second half when Luke O’Nien’s low ball found him at the far post, but he could only slide it wide from close range.
Accrington punished Sunderland, doubling their lead within 60 seconds.
Sean McConville found space on the left and chipped the ball up for the unmarked Smyth to head home from inside the six yard box.
Ross responded by sending on Chris Maguire in place of Wyke and within minutes he made an impact.
Maguire’s cross from the left was knocked back across goal by Grigg and Honeyman was there to stab home from close range on 55 minutes.
And Maguire then laid on the equaliser for McGeady in the 62nd minute.
McGeady released Maguire in the right-hand channel and then continued his run into the area, collecting the return pass and placing his finish into the bottom left-hand corner.
The momentum was firmly with Sunderland now and Maguire saw a free-kick cleared off the line.
Then Grigg saw two shots blocked in quick succession as the Black Cats looked to complete the turnaround.
But the closest they came was when O’Nien headed in from close range in the 90th minute, but the flag was already raised against the defender, who had strayed a yard offside.