‘A game of two as Black Cats see Halves’ was never so apt two-goal lead crushed
SUNDERLAND blew a two-goal half-time lead as Burnley staged an incredible comeback at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats were cruising at the interval after quickfire goals from Amad Diallo and Dan Neil inside the opening 20 minutes had put them in a commanding position, and it was no surprise to hear boos from the away end when the half-time whistle went.
But the second half could not have been more different, as Burnley at last began to look like a side that was playing in the Premier League this time last year. Onloan Southampton midfielder Nathan Tella gave them a route back into the game soon after the break, and half-time sub Manuel Benson – whose introduction made a huge impact – levelled just after the hour.
Anass Zaroury completed the turnaround with a stunning strike 20 minutes from time, before Sunderland gave away a sloppy fourth goal near the end with Josh Brownhill getting his name on the scoresheet. That made it back-to-back defeats for Tony Mowbray’s men, and when the full-time whistle went the boos came from the home end.
Mowbray had made two changes to the side that lost at Blackburn. Patrick Roberts missed out after picking up a knock in training, and his place was taken by Amad. And with Aji Alese limping off at Ewood Park, Trai Hume came into the side at rightback with Luke O’nien moving to take Alese’s place at centreback. Burnley boss Vincent Kompany also made two changes, in his case to the side that was held to a draw at Birmingham City on Wednesday night.
Ashley Barnes and Johann Gudmundsson came into the side in place of Jay Rodriguez and Jack
Cork, who dropped to the bench.
Sunderland were quick out of the blocks and with less than five minutes on the clock, Elliot Embleton tested Arijanet Muric with a shot from just inside the penalty area but it was a routine stop for the Kosovo international.
There was little between the sides in the opening quarter-hour, before Sunderland took the lead on 16 minutes. Jack Clarke turned just outside the penalty area to the left of goal and worked himself into a shooting position, but instead of pulling the trigger he laid the ball off to the unmarked Amad just inside the box and he calmly slotted his finish past Muric from 12 yards, as the on-loan Manchester United man notched his first goal for the Wearsiders.
Just four minutes later Sunderland doubled their lead. This time a cross came in from the right, the visitors failed to defend it and Neil lashed home the loose ball on the turn from six yards, squeezing the ball between Muric and his righthand post.
Burnley offered little in the opening 45 minutes, with their best opening falling to Tella and later Zaroury, but both men fired over the bar from outside the box. Kompany sent on Benson in place of Barnes at half-time, and the differ
ence in the Burnley performance in the second half was like night and day.
The visitors pulled a goal back five minutes after the restart when they won a corner on the left, the ball was floated to the far post where Taylor Harwood-bellis headed it back across goal and Tella nodded in from close range. At the other end, Clarke and Amad combined just as they had in the first half but this time the latter’s finish was off-target.
Burnley levelled in the 61st minute, as Benson cut in from the right and went past Cirkin before delivering a curling ball into the box that noone could reach and it beat Patterson and found the far corner of the net. Sunderland had a chance to go back in front a couple of minutes later when Clarke raced into the box on the right, but his shot was beaten away by Muric at his near post.
The Clarets completed the turnaround on 69 minutes. Zaroury collected a ball midway inside the Sunderland half on the right, cut inside Hume and unleashed a right-foot shot that flew past Patterson and found the top right-hand corner.
Burnley added the fourth with three minutes remaining when Neil was caught in possession by Benson inside his own half, he fed the ball to Brownhill on the edge of the box and he drove his finish over Patterson and high into the net.