NEIL’S WICK WACK WOE!
Mackems boss home debut shock
CONNOR WICKHAM threw Sunderland’s promotion hopes into crisis with a winner against his former club.
The 28-year old was once a hero at the Stadium of Light after scoring five goals in three games to save Sunderland from the brink of relegation from the Premier League in April 2014.
But this time he dumped the Mackems out of the play-off zone slotting home in the 76th minute, his first since joining MK Dons in January.
Alex Neil’s first home game in charge fell flat – the crowd of 30,451 was 8,000 down on their last home game.
Sunderland are in freefall having won just once in nine games in 2022, with five defeats, and were booed off.
It has been a week of turmoil and fans are discontent. It was a year and a day since a club statement said Kyril Louis-dreyfus had acquired a “controlling interest in the club, signalling the start of a new era on Wearside”.
But this week it was revealed Dreyfus only owns a 41 percent stake, and Madrox, including Stewart Donald, 59 percent.
Having failed to land Roy Keane as manager ten days ago, Neil reacted to the latest setback saying: “My overwhelming emotion is frustration. I am not fretting about the league table, it is just about winning the next game.
“We gave the ball away cheaply under little or no pressure. We made silly errors that cost us the match.” Mo Eisa, the brightest attacker on the pitch opened the scoring.
He was released for a 35 yard run on goal by Josh Mceachran. Pacy and direct, Eisa, 27, slotted home well in the 48th minute, for his eighth of the season.
The leveller came from top scorer Ross Stewart with his 19th of the season ending a six game drought. It was a towering header from a cross by sub Elliot Embleton.
But by the 75th minute MK Dons were pressuring the top two with their winner. Jay Matete gave the ball away, Troy Parrott broke and fed Wickham.
MK Dons head coach Liam Manning said: “Connor is hungry to play, and we have to manage him. He wasn’t happy at not starting.
“He has had some high moments in his career and this is a special one. It is sweet for him but the team has the win.”
SUNDERLAND: R Patterson 6; Winchester 6, Wright 5, Doyle 5, Cirkin 5; Neil 6 (Clarke 56, 6), Evans 6 (Roberts 83), Matete 5; Dajaku 5 (Embleton 56, 6), Pritchard 6, Stewart 7. Subs not used: Hoffmann, Defoe, Xhemajli, Hume. MK DONS: Cumming 7; O’hora 7, Darling 7, Lewington 7; (Kasumu 73); Watson 7 (Hayden 88), Coventry 7, Mceachran 7,Harvie 7; Parrott 7, Eisa 8 (Wickham 73), Twine 7. Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Smith, Corbeanu, Boateng. REFEREE: Ollie Yates 6.