Another late show keeps dream alive

WHEN fourth official Jeremy Simpson stood on the touchline with a board showing 10 minutes of added time to be played, there was a collective intake of breath at Hillsborough.

As far as Sheffield Wednesday were concerned, he might as well have been holding a massive, flashing, neon sign, bearing the word ‘DANGER’.

For Sunderland fans, the board would have read ‘BELIEVE’. Sunderland were trailing 1-0 on the night and, with the scores level at 1-1 on aggregate, the countdown had begun and extra-time loomed in the playoff semi-final.

But late goals have kept the Black Cats’ promotion dream alive time and again throughout the run-in. Since Alex Neil arrived in February Sunderland had scored 10 goals after the 80-minute mark and those goals had yielded an extra 10 points, making the difference between finishing fifth and in the play-offs, and eighth and nowhere.

Now the 11th late goal of his reign has sent Sunderland to Wembley and they have a play-off final date against Wycombe Wanderers to look forward to a week on Saturday. It will be the Black Cats’ fourth Wembley visit in four years, and their second play-off final in that spell.

Sunderland lost their previous League One play-off final against Charlton Athletic in stoppage time in 2019; this time it was a stoppage time goal that has taken them there. Neil’s men arrived in South Yorkshire with Ross Stewart’s goal on Friday night at the Stadium of Light having given them a slender advantage.

For the first time since he took over, Neil named an unchanged team and, with Alex Pritchard, Patrick Roberts, and Jack Clarke, all starting, it was clear Sunderland had not arrived to sit back and protect their lead. Yet they had to defend for long spells, with Wednesday knowing they simply had to score at least once.

In the end, Wednesday did find a way through as playmaker Barry Bannan picked out Marvin Johnson with a brilliant reverse pass down the left, and his low cross was prodded home from close range by Lee Gregory.

The goal arrived in the 74th minute and suddenly the 31,000 Wednesday fans were up, as their side pressed for a second which would have turned the tie on its head.

Sunderland kept them at bay, and then came the moment. Clarke surged into the penalty area down the left, got the better of Jordan Storey and squared for Roberts to get in front of Liam Palmer to apply the finish.

The 2,000 travelling fans behind that goal at the Leppings Lane End went wild, as those in blue and white watched in silence and some began to head for the exits. The Sunderland fans began to serenade their team.

‘Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be.

‘We’re going to Wembley.’

And they are. Again.