A seven goal thriller at the SOL on Sunday afternoon saw Sunderland run out five two winners over Mick McCarthy’s Wolverhampton Wanderers. The score line sounds a lot more comfortable than it was though as Sunderland had to show good character to take all three points as having been two nil up in the second half the self destruct button was pushed allowing Wolves to draw level. Two goals apiece from Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones and a Michael Turner header sealed the win in a game full of drama.

The game saw the return to the SOL of Mick McCarthy and also former favourite Jody Craddock who both got good receptions. Superstar right back Greg Halford also returned but his reception was less welcoming. It seems every game we play lately there’s SAFC connections in one way or another but I suppose this is down to the high turnover of playing staff in recent seasons.

Sunderland lined up with Gordon in goal behind a back four of Da Silva, Turner, Mensah and Richardson. In midfield Lee Cattermole recovered from his back injury to partner Loric Cana in the engine room with Reid and Malbranque on either flank. Up front Jones and Bent.

Wolves started fairly brightly with Doyle having the first effort on goal hitting a low shot wide. Halford had a few runs at Kieran Richardson on his return to the SOL and also flung in a few long throws which we managed to deal with.

We took the lead from the penalty shot after Darren Bent was fouled in the box after receiving a clever ball from Malbranque. Bent dusted himself down before blasting low into the bottom left hand corner as he did against Hull several weeks ago.

Wolves were lively on the break with Keogh and Doyle looking like a threat but Mensah was very good at the back winning most of his headers. Mensah played a lovely weighted ball over the top for Bent that looked to have beaten the offside trap but the linesman flagged much to the anger of Steve Bruce.

The first half was solid if not spectacular we had a few half chances with Bent and Malbranque but Wolves also went close with Kevin Doyle almost finding the net with a glancing header.

After the break we looked to have sealed all three points when Bent was again fouled in the box this time by Berra. It was the linesman not the ref who gave this decision but strangely Bent handed the ball to Kenwyne Jones. Jones however made no mistake from the spot sending the keeper the wrong way. Champion game over I thought, wrong.

Wolves hit back almost instantly with a bizarre goal. Berra cut inside Da Silva and fired in a shot which was parried by Gordon then somehow rustled into the bottom corner of the net. I think it came off Mensah but the Wolves supporters and Mick McCarthy didn’t realise it was a goal at first as there was a delayed reaction to their celebrations.

After conceding Sunderland looked edgy and gifted Wolves and equaliser. Richardson at left back on his weaker foot over hit a back pass to Gordon which the Scot had to dive and palm away acrobatically with one hand. I thought this was ok and that a keeper had to pick up the ball for it to be deemed a back pass but the ref gave an indirect free kick. All the lads bar Bent were on the line and although we blocked the first effort the rebound fell to Doyle for an easy side foot finish.

At this point we looked shell shocked and vulnerable. I was sitting thinking about writing the match report along the lines of how we capitulated in a way Mick McCarthy’s Sunderland side would have been proud of. Wolves continued to pour forward and we were all over the place but managed to defend a few corners.

With twenty minutes to go Kenwyne Jones restored Sunderland’s lead with a good goal from outside the box. Bent controlled the ball, possibly with his hand but who cares, before finding Jones. Jones beat his man before firing across the keeper low into the bottom corner. A couple of minutes later we made it four when Turner got onto the end of Reid’s corner to head in. No doubts that this goal was his and then in stoppage time a deflected Darren Bent shot made it five.

A tad unfair on Wolves and in truth the score line flatters Sunderland as for a spell in the second half we looked like a side who had just been promoted. Credit to the lads though for digging out the result as with Man U and Liverpool the next two games the three points gives us a bit of breathing space.

ALS Man of the Match: Kenwyne Jones, scored two, did well in the air despite the ref constantly overlooking fouls on him and also he did the business defending in our box.

Final Score: Sunderland 5 Wolves 2

Aidan Crowe

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