BOSS ROSS IS IMPRESSED AS 10-MAN CATS STRIKE BACK
Debutant Wyke rescues Mackems
TEN-MAN Sunderland were forced to come from behind to preserve their unbeaten start to life in League One by securing a draw with Oxford.
The U’s, who are towards the wrong end of the table, despite winning a couple of games, caused the Black Cats problems and looked on course for victory.
Oxford took the lead in the 16th minute when Ricky Holmes curled a lovely free-kick over the wall from 22 yards and goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin could only help it into the top corner.
In the three games Sunderland had fallen behind previously they had gone on to win but the chances of that happening reduced when Max Power was shown a straight red card for a lunge on Marcus Browne.
That meant Sunderland had to play the remaining 71 minutes with 10 men and it could have been more given the amount of times referee Mark Heywood, who infuriated fans with his decisions, reached for his pocket.
But after the restart Sunderland’s £1m debutant Charlie Wyke, who was introduced as a half-time substitute, fired in a leveller six minutes after coming on with a perfectly-placed shot into the far corner.
After that Sunderland looked like they might go on to win it, with Lee Cattermole and Josh Maja the men to go closest. Ox-
ford, though, had chances themselves and had the ball in the net when Jamie Mackie responded first to a spilled range shot by McLaughlin. The flag, however, went up for offside.
Sunderland manager Jack Ross paid tribute to the attitude of his players after the match. He said: “There were loads of different things we didn’t dwell on from the first half at half-time, that was the time to figure out how to get back in the game.
“I will look at myself as well in terms of how we set up, we allowed ourselves to go on the back foot. We conceded to a very good set piece, but the sending off galvanised us a bit, gave us a spark and then the opening 25 minutes of the second half we were good.
“It was testament to the desire and character to get something. It’s indicative of the character we have shown all season, different personnel and different contributions, and I think the supporters recognise that as well.
“Charlie played a lot longer than planned or should have. We had a couple of decisions to make at half-time and Charlie was one of those. It’s an ideal start for Charlie and credit to the backroom staff for getting him back and through it.”
Oxford manager Karl Robinson was angered by certain decisions and was left frustrated that his team didn’t build on Holmes’ first half opener.
His team sit in the relegation zone and are in desperate need of a lift, even though there were aspects of the display that pleased him.
Robinson said: “We would have taken a draw at half-time against one of the best teams in the league … the best resourced, the
best ground, best training centre and we are training in schools and on park pitches at the moment before we move to our new training ground this week.
“When you come to places like this when you come to frustrate but when you get in people’s faces, you see it with Liverpool, it is difficult to play against and it almost worked. In the first half Mackie was Sunderland’s best defender.”
SUNDERLAND: McLaughlin 7, Love 6 (James 79, 5), Ozturk 6, Baldwin 6, Oviedo 6, Cattermole 7, Power 5, Maguire 6 (Wyke 45, 7), Honeyman 6, Gooch 6, Maja 7 (McGeouch 73, 5). Subs not used: Flanagan, O’Nien, Robson, Ruiter.
OXFORD UNITED: Mitchell 5, Norman 6, Nelson 6, Mousinho 7, Ruffels 6, Brannagan 6, Henry 7, Baptiste 6, Browne 6, Holmes 8 (Whyte 64, 6), Mackie 7 (Obika 84, 5). Subs not used: Garbutt, Dickie, Smith, Shearer, McMahon.