Cattermole’s Gray day as Pompey shine
For Michael Gray in 1998, read lee Cattermole 21 years on: Sunderland’s fall guy in a penalty shootout at Wembley.
Gray is best, or perhaps worst, remembered for being the only man to miss after an epic 4-4 draw with Charlton, and he was here to witness his fellow north-easterner suffer the same fate.
Indeed, Gray tried to make his way from the press box to the touchline after full-time in a bid to console Cattermole, only to be blocked by the stewards.
Maybe that was for the best. What would he have said? ‘don’t worry lee, you’ll only be talking about this for another 20 years.’
Gray, it should be noted, was interviewed about his Wembley woe on the eve of this game, and the memory does not fade.
on that occasion, manager Peter reid stopped the team bus on the way home and said that no player could return until they had supped enough beer to drown their sorrows.
Cattermole won’t be doing that, for Sunderland play accrington Stanley on Wednesday. What a sobering prospect that is.
The midfielder can only hope his Sunderland legacy is not defined by this day, as harsh as that would be. His penalty, for the record, was one of those you file under ‘saveable’ — nice height, lacking venom and never going in once goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray had gone the right way.
but for every howler there is a hero in a shootout and that was Portsmouth’s oli Hawkins, a striker who was playing parttime for Hemel Hempstead just three years ago.
Hawkins was dropped by Pompey boss Kenny Jackett here but was thrown on in the second half with his side trailing 1-0.
The intention, at 6ft 5in, was for Hawkins to be a nuisance in the air but it was a calmness with his feet that proved decisive, whipping the winning kick across his body to deceive keeper Jon Mclaughlin.
It climaxed a contest deserving of its record 85,021 crowd. This was the final the eFl had wanted, league one’s biggest clubs, and they did not disappoint.
Saying that, for the opening 45 minutes it looked like one of those fixtures from the earlier rounds when senior teams take on Under 21s from the Premier league.
Men against boys it was, as Sunderland dominated. They were simply fitter, faster and stronger than Pompey. Jackett conceded he was relieved to get to the break 1-0 down.
aiden McGeady was the scorer, curling home a free-kick on 38 minutes. never would the winger have dreamt then, however, that he would be needed to salvage penalties in the 119th minute.
but Sunderland were awful in the second half, found wanting for energy and ideas, and nathan Thompson headed an equaliser on 82 minutes.
across europe this weekend, only barcelona were watched by more spectators and, with six minutes of extra time remaining, Pompey forward Jamal lowe produced a finish to rival lionel Messi when he dropped a delicate lob beyond Mclaughlin.
McGeady, though, had been the game’s outstanding player and he soon wriggled free in the area before levelling with a low shot.
So to penalties, where Cattermole missed with his side’s second effort. ‘He’s hurting,’ said Sunderland boss Jack ross. ‘but you don’t have the career he has without strength of character.
‘He also has enormous pride in what he does, so you can’t take that soreness away. but we have an immediate chance to rectify that pain by winning promotion.’
Jackett, though, feels it is advantage Portsmouth after this outcome. His side are third in league one, a point ahead of Sunderland. There is every chance they could meet here in the
play- off final. ‘ This will do our players good. Most of them haven’t experienced this sort of occasion.’ Jackett said.
‘But we hope we’re not here to defend it next year because that means we would not have been promoted, and we’re still hoping to go up in the top two.’
Cattermole, meanwhile, will perhaps want a swift return to Wembley in the play-offs. at least then he might have a memory to eclipse this one.