WYCOMBE WANDERERS ............................................. 1 Watmore goal salvages point as Cats square up to Chairboys

DUNCAN Watmore’s injury-time equaliser salvaged a point for Sunderland in a game that ended in shameful scenes and a flurry of red cards at Adams Park. Alex Samuel had given Wycombe the lead in the first half and it looked like that would settle matters on a day when Sunderland were well belowpar. But substitute Watmore bailed them out in the fourth minute of added time with his first league goal since returning from long-term injury. It was referee Lee Swabey who stole the headlines, however, late in the game. A mass brawl erupted between Sunderland and Wycombe dugouts a couple of minutes after Watmore’s goal, with the Black Cats staff keen to get the ball back in play quickly as they went in search of a winner while the home bench were happy to waste time. Devon official Swabey had been overly officious all afternoon and when the situation calmed down, he showed straight red cards to George Honeyman and Nathan Tyson – both of whom were on the bench having been substituted. In Honeyman’s case, a three-game ban would rule him out of the Checkatrade Trophy final if Sunderland’s league game against Fleetwood Town in a fortnight is postponed due to international call-ups. There was a third red card soon after when Marcus Bean fouled Watmore.

It was a sour note on which to end the game, but Sunderland did at least extend their unbeaten run to 17 games in all competitions.

They remain third in the table, but the gap between themselves and second-placed Barnsley is now four points meaning they cannot overtake the Tykes when they go to Oakwell on Tuesday.

After making two changes for the midweek Checkatrade Trophy semifinal at Bristol Rovers, Jack Ross reverted to the same side that started last weekend’s league win against Plymouth Argyle.

That meant Lee Cattermole and Reece James returned to the side in place of Max Power and Adam Matthews, who had deputised at the Memorial Stadium.

Sunderland were sluggish from the word go and did not improve before half-time.

Wycombe showed they would not roll over and bullied the Black Cats in the early stages, with Luke O’nien on the end of some rough stuff on his return to his former club, while Cattermole and Lewis Morgan were also in the wars.

While Sunderland toiled in vain, the home side looked a threat in the first period.

Grant Leadbitter had to slide in to make a crucial challenge on Matt Bloomfield to deny him a shot inside the box within minutes of kick-off.

And Wanderers should have gone in front just after the quarter-hour mark when Tyson got into the area on the left and squared for Bolton, but he somehow sliced his shot wide of an open goal from six yards out.

Bolton was replaced before the halfhour after picking up and injury and his replacement, Paris Cowan-hall, provided the assist for the goal 10 minutes before the break.

Morgan was caught in possession by Dominic Gape midway inside his own half. He evaded Leadbitter’s challenge and played the ball to his right for Cowan-hall, who squared for Samuel to finish.

Sunderland’s only effort of note in the first half was a tame shot from Mcgeady which went wide of the lefthand post with goalkeeper Ryan Allsop untroubled.

The Black Cats improved in the second half and within five minutes of the restart Tom Flanagan headed against the angle of post and bar from a Lead-