Black Cats left feeling flat after the Stan strike late
Sunderland allowed an opposition reduced to 10 men to rescue a point for the second time this season as their automatic promotion hopes took another significant dent at Accrington Stanley.
The Black Cats had battled to a 1-0 lead through substitute Aiden O’Brien’s early second-half goal and it looked as if a difficult game could yield a crucial win when Ross Sykes was shown a second yellow card with less than 20 minutes to play.
However, Lee Johnson’s side conspired to gift up an equaliser from their own corner, a swift counter-attack allowing Mitch Clark to rescue a point for his team.
Sunderland had been bolstered significantly by the returnfromThorbenHoffmann and Leon Dajaku, with Bailey Wright also back in the side after a recent injury.
The optimism that created carried into the opening moments, when the Black Cats went close with a good move.
Back in a more natural wing role, Lynden Gooch beat his full back and stood up to an excellent cross to the middle of the box. The connection from Ross Stewart was good, but Toby Savin denied him with a superb stop, racing across to claw clear.
In truth that early effort was about as it got for Sunderland in what was largely a tepid first-half performance.
They struggled to disrupt Accrington with their pressing and the home side looked comfortable as they got the ball forward early.
Chances were at a premium for both sides, a couple of ambitious efforts from Ethan Hamilton flying well wide of the Sunderland goal.
Savin had to be alert to stop a decent long-range effort from Gooch, who was the most threatening player through the first half an hour, but the Black Cats were limited to long-range efforts and
their accuracy was poor. Dan Neil, Elliot Embleton and Dajaku all took aim from distance, but Savin was largely unmoved.
The home side were beginning to grow in confidence and Hoffmann had to make a terrific save when Colby Bishop headed a cross to the centre of the box goalwards, the German getting up to tip the ball over his bar.
A flurry of dangerous set pieces almost caught the visitors out, with Dennis Cirkin making one particularly strong clearance just yards from his own line.
The Black Cats were relieved referee James Bell waved play on as Harry Pell broke into the box from deep
before going down under a challenge under Callum Doyle, while Tom Flanagan had to make an excellent covering challenge to deny the dangerous midfielder when he was able to break down the right flank again shortly before half-time.
Sunderland were inches away from taking the lead just before half time when Dajaku pounced on an error from Yeboah Amankwah and broke into the box, his low cross just turned over his own crossbar by Matt Butcher.
Having been rated 50/50 for the game, Alex Pritchard was unable to return for the second half as Sunderland looked to lift their intensity, and Johnson’s decision
to replace him with O’Brien proved quickly to be an inspired one.
Within minutes of the restart the home side built a nice move through the middle of the pitch and when O’Brien took aim from 20 yards, his effort took a wicked deflection off Michael Nottingham and looped over Savin, sparking wild celebrations in the way end.
The home side responded well to the setback, Bishop going close with a dangerous header.
They went even closer with a low effort that flashed inches wide of Hoffmann’s post moments later, Sunderland having to ride a spell of pressure.
Though they managed to do that, the hosts continued to threaten, with a tremendous block at close range from Doyle denying Hamilton what looked certain to be an equaliser as a loose ball broke kindly for him in the box.
Sunderland had carried a threat of their own but the game was finely poised heading into the final quarter.
What looked as if it would be the crucial moment came when Stewart was quickest to react as a loose ball dropped in the centre circle, bursting clear of Sykes and drawing the foul. The centre back had already been shown a yellow card for dissent earlier in the half and, having tripped Stewart on the edge of the box not long after, the referee had no choice but to send him off.
Sunderland looked in control all of a sudden but with just over five minutes to play they conspired to give up the softest of goals.
It started with a longrange effort from Neil, comfortably gathered by Savin who quickly fired a long ball down the pitch.
Flanagan tried to make the interception but missed and from nowhere the hosts were through. Butcher showed good composure to square the ball for Clark, who had a simple finish to level the scores.
The visitors applied some late pressure, but Savin was largely untested as his side held on with ease.