Ross is chopping and changing but Cats’ results remain the same
Sunderland 2 Accrington Stanley 2
THE Sky TV viewers cannot complain about the entertainment Sunderland and Accrington Stanley served up for their Friday night, but there was frustration aplenty for the home supporters as their side waited too long to show what they were capable of.
The Black Cats very generously gave their out-of-form visitors a two-goal head-start before they overcame their frustrations and claimed yet another draw. It was not the result needed.
Such an up-and-down game in which Sunderland started well, completely lost their way, then fought back well, was guaranteed to throw up its fair share of talking points and that was certainly the case at the Stadium of Light, as the Wearsiders moved up to third in League One, yet still walked off the pitch feeling they had let another opportunity slip through their fingers.
PROS AND CONS OF THE STADIUM OF LIGHT SUMMED UP
It was a night to show what the Stadium of Light is capable of – for good and for bad.
As the mistakes started to creep into Sunderland’s game in the first half, the home supporters were unable to hold in their frustrations, and the Black Cats players were incapable of dealing with it.
Once Accrington took the lead through Billy Kee’s first-half penalty, the pressure began building, and played into the visitors’ hands.
But as soon as George Honeyman’s goal to pull the score back to 2-1 gave them a bit of encouragement, Sunderland’s supporters responded brilliantly.
The only surprise was that with such a powerful force at their backs, the Wearsiders were unable to force a third it goal, having to settle instead for a 2-2 draw.
THE CYCLE OF DRAWS JUST REFUSES TO BE BROKEN
This was the seventh League One draw Sunderland have had in their last nine matches.
Even scoring twice, for the first time since they beat Bristol Rovers in middecember, was not enough to break the spell.
From the vantage point of 2-0 down, they would have been relieved to have