‘There were as many away fans as home, they filled one stand’
Wigan felt the ball had gone out of play, but Stewart was just focused on his run into the box.
Liam Lawrence found him, and an instinctive finish sent his side on their way.
The Black Cats defended superbly thereafter and sealed a memorable away-day win that is still fondly remembered by many...
Stewart said: “I remember all the Sunderland fans just taking one entire side of Wigan’s stadium, there must have been a chance there were as many away fans as home.
“It was a vital game, we were both going for promotion and the match itself was tough and tight.
“They took the game to us a bit but we managed to win 1-0.
“I scored the winner and I remember it was a sort of through ball/cross from Liam Lawrence.
“The goalkeeper came out quite early, so I didn’t really have the time to go around him or do much else.
“I had to take a touch and shoot really quickly, so I just tried to keep it low and hope that it missed his legs, really.
“I had just a bit of eye contact with Liam as I made that run towards goal.
“He put it exactly where I needed it to be, I don’t think I’d have been able to score if he’d put it anywhere else.
“I knew the first touch had to be spot on because where the goalkeeper was, he’d have been able to just collect it. I think if I’d gone back inside, the defender would have got there.
“So it was about just taking that touch and poking the shot through quickly.
“Going away from home against the kind of team Wigan were then, pushing for promotion, you’d be happy with a draw really, come away and go from there.
“So it was a vital win.”
Sunderland took one point from their next two games, though the draw with Ipswich Town was a useful one given the table, leaving the Black Cats with a five-point advantage going into this game.
Mick McCarthy’s side went behind early on but Stewart equalised soon after and in the second half, Stephen Caldwell thumped home an outstanding header from a corner.
The Black Cats held on, players on the pitch and fans in the stand eagerly waiting to hear how Ipswich had got on.
Finally, a PA announcement confirmed that they had only drawn with Leeds United.
Sunderland were up, and the jubilant celebrations began…
“You always get that nice feel to games towards the end of the season,” said Stewart.
“It’s a bit sunnier, it’s a bit brighter later on in the game with the clocks going forward etc.
“There’s that end-of-season feel and it’s nice when you’re really going for something, whether it be promotion or the play-offs.
“I remember my goal, Browny [Chris Brown] brings it down and just puts it into my path. I’ve just peeled off the defender, spun round the corner and just put it in first time.
“We won the game and that was promotion.
“I remember being so pleased for Mick because we hadn’t had the best start to the season.
“We’d had a couple of draws and losses, and it just took us a while to get going.
“All good teams finish really well, though, and we finished really well in that last ten to fifteen games.
“These two we won stick in my mind but I know there were other important wins too.”
*Stewart joined Sunderland
from Ipswich Town in a £3.25million deal in August 2002, having previously played for Bristol Rovers and Huddersfield Town.
He scored 39 goals for the Black Cats in 119 appearances, and 254 in 783 throughout his career.
He joined Bristol City on a free transfer in July 2005, before spells at Preston North End, Yeovil Town and Exeter City.
Stewart is now assistant manager at Walsall.
Read tomorrow's Echo to hear about Stewart's third defining moment of his Sunderland career, a momentous trip to Upton Park, the heartache of losing to Crystal Palace in the previous year's play-offs, and the end of his time on Wearside...
“I was able to leave on a high,” he said.
“If my contract had been up the year before, who knows what might have happened, I could have had to go somewhere else.
“But I had that chance to make things right in my own little way, and I was able to contribute in my own little way and it means I have no regrets about that time in my career.
“Some decisions weren’t quite right, there were some that were brilliant and some that take a bit of time to really pay off.
“I think that’s how I see my time at Sunderland really.”