BENT SENDS BLACK CATS DOWN AGAIN
Former striker has last laugh
DARREN Bent rammed the bile of the Sunderland fans back down their throats as he helped to relegate his former club.
The ex-England striker, who scored 36 goals in under 18 months with the Black Cats before joining Aston Villa in a £24m deal in January 2011, has never been forgiven by Wearside fans for his desertion.
He will never be forgiven for his part in their drop into League One, either – the second time they have been in the third tier.
Former Manchester United utility man Paddy McNair – the player Sunderland boss Chris Coleman has identified as the cornerstone of their future – struck his third goal in as many games to hand his side a 34thminute lead and was involved in last-ditch drama.
But Bent came off the bench to score only his second goal in 13 appearances since being loaned to Burton from Derby in January to bring the Brewers level four minutes from the end.
Then fellow frontman Liam Boyce grabbed a stoppage-time winner before Sunderland saw a stay of execution snatched away when referee Darren England ruled a goal out deep into added time after McNair appeared to bundle the ball in with his hand.
With Burton facing a crunch home showdown against relegation rivals Bolton on Saturday, the maths means bottom club Sunderland cannot escape the drop zone.
Coleman, dogged by uncertainty over the club’s future ownership with Ellis Short struggling to find a buyer, said: “I would like to apologise to everybody. It’s a brutal experience and the disappointment is huge. We haven’t been good enough.
“I’ve experienced relegation as a player but not as a manager. The players are absolutely devastated, but players and managers come and go and it’s about the fans.
“It was such a mess at the end of the game – the craziness of the decisions from the referee and his linesman.
“I don’t know where we go from here. I don’t know what the plan is. Maybe now we know where we are we can say, this is the plan, if it’s with the current chairman or new owners. We’ve got to look at it and think it’s going to be with Ellis.’’
Sunderland had gone ahead when Ashley Fletcher poked the ball into the path of the unmarked McNair, whose low drive went through the diving Stephen Bywater.
Jacob Davenport tested Jason Steele – preferred to Lee Camp – with a swerving attempt early in the second half as the keeper confounded the doubters among the home support.
But Bent responded to deafening boos by heading in the loose ball after Hope Akpan’s shot was parried by Steele.
John O’Shea hit the bar with a header and Bent saw an effort saved by Steele, but Boyce nodded in substitute Ben Turner’s cross before mayhem ensued at the other end.
Burton fight on and boss Nigel Clough said: “Our aim has been to take it to the last day and that will be the aim when we play Bolton.’’
Sunderland-born Clough, whose famous father Brian played for the Wearsiders, added: “He used to talk with such affection about his time at the club.
“Plenty of clubs have gone into League One – Leeds, Forest, Leicester – and come back so I don’t see why, with Chris, Sunderland can’t do that.”