Sloppy Sunderland made to pay by Stags in the cup
Sunderland’s woes deepened as they were knocked out of the FA Cup first round for the third season in a row.
Nigel Clough’s Mansfield Town repeated their trick from last season, sealing a deserved victory as they resolutely defended a well-earned early lead.
Thevisitorsbenefitedfrom a Lee Burge error to go ahead through Rhys Oates just minutes into the game, and, after enjoying the better of the first half, they dug in resolutely through the second.
Sunderland hit the bar through Dan Neil at the start of stoppage time, but were unabletoworkNathanBishopanywhere near enough through the contest.
Though Sunderland head coach Lee Johnson had unsurprisingly shuffled his pack following a bruising week on the road, it was even with six changes a side more than strong enough to seal progression into the next round.
Mansfield had struggled in the opening weeks of the season, but victory against Tranmere Rovers last weekend looked to have lifted their spiritsanditwaslittlesurprise given Sunderland’s recent travails that they found joy pressing early and aggressively.
Even if the opener was selfinflicted from the home side’s point of view, it came after a couple of lucky escapes.
The distribution from the back had been unconvincing in the first few minutes and ultimately gifted the lead to Clough’s side just five minutes in.
Burge tried to distribute to hiscentreback,butinsteadlaid it straight into the path of Oates,wholookedcertaintoscore. The finish was not emphatic, but good enough, finding the farcornerafterstrikingtheinside of the near post.
Sunderland were struggling to produce any kind of rhythm in possession, though showed there were spaces to
be found when Bailey Wright finally broke the press on the quarterofthehourmark.Dennis Cirkin drove forward and playedacleverone-twowithElliot Embleton in the channel, but the cross to the back post was just too heavy for Leon Dajaku who could only head high and wide.
That was an encouraging sign, but in truth the movement and precision exhibited in that move proved to be the exception,ratherthantherule.
Mansfieldwerelayingfrom a book that has yielded Clough success here before, happy to wait for the error in possession, before breaking in numberswithstrongrunnersfrom midfield.
Itshouldhaveyieldedasecond
when Nathan Broadhead was robbed near the halfway line, Mansfield suddenly having numbers on the overlap. The ball was quickly driven into the right-hand channel where Harry Charsley met it on the run, his effort inches wide of the far post with Burge undoubtedly beaten.
Broadhead was at least attemptingtoshowsomedrivein possession, but the decision to moveAidenO’Brieninfieldand Embletonontothewingmeant the Black Cats were again lacking composure in possession.
Sunderland did come close to a response when Dajaku burst past his marker and stood up a cross, Nathan BishopsavingwellfromBroadhead’s header, but it rather
summed up a listless half that the visitors would break and almost double their advantage immediately.
GeorgeLapsliesawaneffort deflectedjustoverthebarafter meeting a low cross just inside the box, before Oli Hawkins toweredabovehismarkerfrom the corner and planted a header off the crossbar.
The Black Cats were labouring, reflected starkly in a quadruple substitution from Johnson, making clear he wanted a better tempo and considerably more personality in possession.
The speed of the game certainly lifted, though Stephen McLaughlinwentclosetomaking it two when a free kick ran to him and his effort flew just wide of the far post.
Sunderlanddidlooksharper, though, and went close when Lynden Gooch played a pass inside and Neil struck it just wide of the far post on the half volley.
Mansfield continued to look a threat on the break, but the hosts were benefiting from a change of shape. Johnson had matched the visiting midfield diamond and with more ball players on the pitch, theerrorsinpossessionatleast stemmedfromawillingnessto try to break open the defence.
The chances remained elusive, though, amid swirling winds and growing restlessness in the stands.
Though not as threatening as in the first half, Mansfield were keeping their shape and looking disciplined.
It was not until the final 10 minutes that Sunderland finally carved a real opening of note, a good move down the right-hand side seeing Carl Winchester drive a threatening ball into the channel. The ballacrosstothebackpostwas met by Corry Evans, but his effort was blocked by the covering defender.
At last, the hosts were beginning to build some sustained pressure, pushing Mansfield back and forcing poor clearances, but Clough’s side were able to reset and relieve some pressure and, althoughNeilstruckaneffortoff the bar at the start of stoppage time,theywereabletoholdon.