CATS HAVE GONE FOR A BURTON YET AGAIN
BURTON relegated Sunderland five months ago and rubbed it in by making it more difficult for them to get straight back.
Sunderland were unbeaten in League One until they came up against the Brewers again yesterday – and were defeated 2-1, just as they were at the Stadium of Light in April.
“The first-half performance is one that, if you replicate that, you won’t win many matches,” admitted Black Cats boss Jack Ross. “Burton were streets ahead of us.
“The second half was a bit better. At least we looked like we had an interest in winning the game. I have to hammer home the message.”
This is an embarrassing season for Sunderland, playing in the third tier of English football for only the second time in their history.
In the first half it was as if they were hiding from the shame.
Their embarrassment grew after Jamie Allen and Kyle McFadzean got stuck into them with two goals in 36 minutes. It could have been more as the Brewers had themselves a party and it continued into the early part of the second half.
“I thought we should have won it more comfortably because in that five or six minutes just after half-time we should have scored a goal or two more and put the game to bed,” said Burton boss Nigel Clough.
“Then they go up the other end and one shot from 25 yards and it’s a different game.”
Sub Chris Maguire smacked that one in after 53 minutes and Sunderland roused themselves at last, looking for an equaliser.
“I don’t not want our mentality to drift back to feeling sorry for ourselves,” added Ross. “We have to have mental and physical energy. Physically we were wilting.”
Allen had drilled in Burton’s opener in the 19th minute from a chance set up by Liam Boyce and Marvin Sordell.
Sordell got praise from Clough for going public this week about his battle with depression.
“When something like that has come out it can be quite emotionally draining. He is better in himself now. I hope it helps with a lot of other players as well,” said Clough. “It’s been very brave of Sordell.”
Burton’s second was a special moment for McFadzean, getting his head on David Templeton’s free-kick for his first goal in over two years.
Burton went down with Sunderland last season and Clough is looking at getting back up there as well.
“The top four in League One so far are Portsmouth, Peterborough, Sunderland and Barnsley,” says Clough.
“It’s a bit of a statement today by us that, on our day, when we get our people fit, then we can give everybody in this league a game.”
BURTON: Evtimov 7, McCrory 6 (Hutchinson 90), McFadzean 9, Turner 7, Fraser 7, Allen 8, Akins 7, Templeton 8 (Sbarra 87, 6), Quinn 7, Boyce 8, Sordell 8 (Fox 80, 7) Subs not used: Hesketh, Cole, Harness, Campbell
SUNDERLAND: McLaughlin 7, Matthews 5, Baldwin 5, Loovens 5 (O’Nien 85), Oviedo 6, Honeyman 7, Cattermole 7, Gooch 6, Maja 7, Wyke 5 (Maguire 43, 6), Sinclair 5 (McGeady 51, 6) Subs not used: Ozturk, Flanagan, Ruiter, Hume