Hutchinson denies Black Cats a vital win
Millwall 1
Hutchinson (69)
sunderland 1
Oviedo (29)
Sunderland remain rooted to the foot of the Championship table after Shaun Hutchinson’s second-half equaliser pegged them back to a draw at Millwall.
The Black Cats claimed a first-half lead through a long-range effort from Bryan Oviedo, but Hutchinson’s scrambled effort from a corner means they have still recorded just five league victories all season.
The point was not what they required as they look to scramble to safety, and also did little to aid Millwall’s slim prospects of claiming a play-off place, with Neil Harris’ side now eight points adrift of the top six.
Sunderland manager Chris Coleman rang the changes before kick-off, making six alterations from the team that drew with Middlesbrough seven days earlier, and his tinkering was rewarded as his side claimed a deserved first-half advantage.
That said, however, Millwall might well feel they should have claimed a sixthminute lead.
Jake Cooper found himself completely unmarked from a corner, but Lee Cattermole was able to hack away the defender’s goal-bound header from a position on the goalline.
The next opportunity came at the other end of the field, and while frontman Ashley Fletcher was unable to make any connection with Adam Matthews’ dangerous driven cross, the fact the Black Cats were getting on the front foot was nevertheless positive from their perspective.
Callum Mcmanaman fired over when a corner was cleared into his path midway through the first half, but the next time Sunderland tried their luck from distance
four minutes later, the deadlock was broken. Oviedo played a neat one-two with Mcgeady in a pre-rehearsed short corner routine, and drifted infield towards the corner of the area.
There appeared to be little danger when he took aim with his left foot, but he bent a sensational strike that found the top right-hand corner.
Millwall’s players appeared shellshocked by the concession, although Jason Steele was forced to produce a decent save as he parried Shaun Williams’ low strike shortly before the break.
The hosts started the second half with an increased sense of purpose and Steele produced two good stops to deny Lee
Gregory, claiming the striker’s scuffed shot before tipping his looping header over the crossbar.
The Sunderland goalkeeper also kept out Steve Morison’s back-post volley, but from the subsequent corner, Millwall hauled themselves level.
Sunderland’s defenders failed to clear Ben Marshall’s delivery, and while Cattermole thought he had blocked Hutchinson’s stabbed effort, referee Andy Davies adjudged that the ball had crossed the line.
Gregory had a chance to win it for Millwall, but fired wide, before Jed Wallace struck an effort over and Sunderland were left clinging on to what could be a vital point in the end.