Wheels fall off Black Cats’ bid for automatic promotion
SUNDERLAND SLUMP TO THIRD STRAIGHT
THE wheels have fallen off Sunderland’s automatic promotion bid as they slumped to a third straight defeat in the space of a week.
Luke Garbutt’s deflected strike which found the net on the hour was enough to give Blackpool all three points at Bloomfield Road, although Sunderland went close with Aiden Mcgeady hitting the woodwork and Luke O’nien seeing a shot cleared off the line.
But with second-placed Peterborough winning on Friday and leaders Hull winning yesterday, the chances of the Black Cats hunting down either of those sides are now vanishingly slim.
They are a massive 11 points behind Hull, albeit with a game in hand, and eight points behind Peterborough having played the same number of games.
Just a week ago Sunderland were eyeing a top-two finish, now they are looking over their shoulders knowing they must arrest their slide in order to make sure of a playoff spot.
Blackpool also look bound for the playoffs as they stretched their unbeaten run to 16 league games.
But it has been a disastrous week for Lee Johnson’s side, who have seen their automatic promotion hopes reduced to rubble by defeats against Charlton, Wigan, and now Blackpool – the first time Sunderland have lost three successive league games since March 2018.
Johnson made three changes to the starting XI that lost at Wigan in midweek.
With Dion Sanderson injured, Grant Leadbitter came into midfield which allowed Max Power to move to right-back, and O’nien switched to central defence to fill the gap left by Sanderson.
Callum Mcfadzean came in for Denver
Hume at left-back, while Aiden O’brien started instead of Jack Diamond.
Blackpool boss Neil Critchley made two changes, in his case to the side that drew at home to Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night.
Sunderland midfielder Elliot Embleton is on loan with the Seasiders and cannot play against his parent club, and his place was taken by Demetri Mitchell who had a trial spell on Wearside last summer before joining Blackpool.
The second change saw Ollie Turton replace Jordan Gabriel.
The first half was short on goalmouth action with both sides struggling to create chances.
Sunderland dominated possession and Jordan Jones got into some good crossing positions down the right but too often his final ball was poor, while on the opposite
Just a week ago Sunderland were eyeing a top two finish, now they are looking over their shoulders
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LOSS AS RIVALS GAIN GROUND
flank Mcgeady largely failed to make an impact.
Leadbitter impressed in midfield and he brought a save out of Chris Maxwell with a long-range effort.
But that was the only time in the first period that Maxwell was called into action.
Mcgeady released Jones in behind the defence, but while his first touch was good he then lost control and failed to get a shot away.
And when one of Jones’ crosses did find a Sunderland shirt inside the box, Charlie Wyke saw his first-time shot blocked at close range.
At the other end, Lee Burge also only had one save to make in the first period, with Jerry Yates curling a cross-shot towards goal from the left corner of the box which the keeper held without any difficulty.
But the best chance of the half fell to Ellis Simms midway through the half, but he blazed over from eight yards when he should have scored.
In the second half,
Sunderland were inches away from taking the lead just before the hour when Wyke flicked the ball out to Mcgeady and he worked space inside the left side of the box for a shot, only to see his curling effort come back off the inside of the far post.
But seconds later Blackpool broke the deadlock on 59 minutes.
A low shot from Garbutt inside the area on the left would have presented no problems for Burge, but it took a deflection which wrongfooted the keeper and while he recovered to get something on it, he could not keep it out.
Sunderland had to push forward in search of an equaliser, and Mcgeady and Wyke both saw shots saved.
And when Maxwell dropped the ball under pressure from O’nien, the Sunderland man turned it towards goal only for Dan Ballard to clear off the line.
Josh Scowen brought another good save out of Maxwell in the final ten minutes as Sunderland threw everything forward but to no avail, as they suffered another hugely damaging defeat.