Boyce’s late winner sends the Cats down
Sunderland have been relegated to the third tier of English football for only the second time in the club’s history after losing a dramatic relegation battle with Burton.
Despite Paddy McNair giving the Black Cats the lead 11 minutes before the break, Burton hit back in the second half and claimed the win to lift them within two points of safety.
Former Sunderland striker Darren Bent headed in the equaliser with four minutes left, before Liam Boyce nodded the winner deep into stoppage-time.
There was more drama seconds later when McNair had an equaliser ruled out for handball by the referee’s assistant, even though the man in the middle Darren England had given it at first.
Sunderland headed into the game on the back of three spirited displays, and draws, but both teams knew that a victory was essential to keep their slim chances of survival alive.
Burton didn’t start the game in the sort of manner that saw them defeat neighbours Derby County in their previous outing, allowing the home side more time on the ball.
Despite Sunderland’s more positive start there was a lack of threat posed to the goalkeepers and, apart from McNair’s opening goal, there were no serious saves to make.
Jason Steele, back in between the posts after Lee Camp was left out, held everything that came his way and was in the way of a couple of efforts that were driven into him. Stephen Bywater, at the opposite end, couldn’t do the same. Even though he did dive left to gather a McNair strike after Callum McManaman’s touch earlier in the half, the goalkeeper got his positioning wrong shortly afterwards.
Ashley Fletcher did well to cut inside from the left and dribble beyond a couple of players. Just when it seemed he would be stopped, he poked a pass in the direction of McNair, who drilled low from 20 yards into the centre of Bywater’s net.
Burton had the greater share of possession after the restart and pressed in the hope of finding an equaliser, but they still lacked a cutting edge.
The nearest they came in the early stages of the half was when Akins’ delivery from the right caught out Sunderland’s defenders, but they did enough to clear.
Steele turned away a Jacob Davenport free-kick with 20 minutes remaining, and that led to a tense finale – and the stage was set for Bent.
The experienced striker, who was booed throughout after he was introduced, headed over the line from close range after Steele – who also saved another Bent volley – had done well to save Hope Akpan’s long range strike.
And then Burton turned the game completely on its head when Boyce glanced in the winner deep into stoppage-time.
There was still time for McNair to have an equaliser ruled out for handball, but Sunderland are down.