The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
Late leveller as play-offs bid goes to the final day
SUNDERLAND are one win away from guaranteeing a playoff place after a last-minute own-goal spared them from defeat against Rotherham United.
Michael Ihiekwe had headed the Millers into a first-half lead, but the centre-back put through his own net right at the death when it seemed time would run out on the Black Cats.
Sunderland were way belowpar and did not manage a single shot on target all gam but the point means they will go into their final day game at Morecambe knowing victory will secure a top-six finish regardless of events elsewhere.
With Sheffield Wednesday winning at Fleetwood, Alex Neil’s side dropped to fifth in the table but they are now a point ahead of both Plymouth and Wycombe.
This draw did, however, extend their unbeaten run to 12 games.
As for second-placed Rotherham, a win would have effectively secured automatic promotion, but they now go into the final weekend knowing they could yet find themselves in the play-offs.
Neil made three changes to the XI which started the weekend win against Cambridge, one of which was forced upon him.
Callum Doyle replaced the injured Carl Winchester in central defence, while the other changes saw Trai Hume and Jay Matete come into the side in place of Patrick Roberts and Elliot Embleton.
Rotherham boss Paul Warne stuck with the same side that began the Millers’ home win against Oxford United on Saturday.
Sunderland made the early running, dominating possession and territory, although without managing to test Viktor Johansson.
Instead it was Rotherham who took the lead with their first real attack.
They won a corner when Ben Wiles’ shot was blocked by Lynden Gooch and when former Newcastle United midfielder Dan Barlaser drove his set-piece into the area from the right Ihiekwe got away from Luke O’nien to power a header past Anthony Patterson from close range.
Rotherham then took control and began creating a number of chances, with Wiles, Ihiekwe and Jordi Osei-tutu, Barlaser, and Chidozie Ogbene all sending efforts wide.
The fact that the Millers found it so easy find a way through the Sunderland defence will have been a major worry for Neil.
At the other end, Sunderland lacked any kind of creative spark and offered minimal threat, a set-piece header from Danny Batth which went wide of the target, all they could muster in the opening 45 minutes.
Sunderland improved marginally in the second half, with Neil sending on Alex Pritchard, Jack Clarke and Embleton on to try to get his side going. However, they still failed to test Johansson as Evans blazed a shot well over the bar from the edge of the box after good work from Gooch.
Rotherham almost doubled their lead just after the hour from another corner, but this time centre-back Richard Wood headed Barlaser’s set-piece straight at Patterson.
Pritchard had Sunderland’s best chance, curling a 25-yard free-kick into the sidenetting with just 10 minutes remaining.
However, in the final minute of the 90, Sunderland were handed a lifeline when Ihiekwe got his bearings wrong and headed Clarke’s cross into his own net via the underside of the crossbar.