OPENING DAY AGONY

The Black Cats suffer opening day defeat in the Premier League at Portman Road thanks to former Sunderland star Jack Clarke’s late winner.

The newly promoted side took an early lead through debutant Emerson but the lead didn’t last long thanks to Nilson Angulo’s fantastic freekick before half time. However as the game looked to end level, super sub Clarke snatched all three points for the home side in added time.

After 98 days Sunderland returned to Premier League action against newly promoted Ipswich Town. The Black Cats begin a highly anticipated season which sees them return to European football after over 50 years.

The Wearsiders went to Portman Road without new signing Dayann Methalie with Regis Le Bris not wanting to rush him into his plans. New addition Thomas Meunier made his competitive debut, replacing Nordi Mukiele in the starting XI.

Le Bris side are without Simon Adingra who has sustained an ankle injury and will be out for a rumoured six weeks. While Omar Alderete and Mukiele were only fit for the bench.

Ipswich, much like Sunderland the season prior, have completely overhauled their squad following promotion, spending over £150 million and overtaking the Black Cats as the most expensive transfer window for a newly promoted side with 12 new players on their books. The Tractor Boys are also under new management with Gary O’Neil replacing the beloved Kieran McKenna who left following promotion.

O’Neil is without Azor Matusiwa and Jack Taylor. Both players had surgery over the summer and missed out on the start of the season as they continue their recovery.

The Black Cats began the game the stronger and perhaps should have taken the lead through Brian Brobbey. The Dutch international was played through by Trai Hume but hesitated when pulling the trigger and the recovering Leif Davis managed to block the strike.

Despite the visitors' early pressure, it was Ipswich who took the lead. A sloppy mistake from Luke O’Nien allowed Julio Enciso to be 1-1 with Dan Ballard, he skipped past the centre half before squaring the ball across to Emerson who passed the ball into an empty net to give the home side the lead.

Sunderland pushed hard for an equaliser and almost earned one from Noah Sadiki. A darting run from the midfielder was found by the cross of Hume but Kjell Scherpen was down quickly to his near post to push it wide.

With 10 minutes of the half to go, the Wearsider’s were level. Nilson Angulo’s brilliant direct free kick struck the bar on its way into the goal with Scherpen unable to keep it out.

In the Second half, Sunderland once again held large amounts of possession but their first chance past the interval came from an interception on the edge of the Ipswich area. Reinildo Mandava stole the ball from Issa Diop before slotting in Brobbey. The number 9 tried to turn on the ball rather than taking the strike first time and was crowded out.

With the game looking to come to a standstill, Ipswich managed to snatch all three points in the 90th minute. Substitute Omar Alderete’s sloppy pass was easily picked up by the Ipswich midfield before finding former Sunderland star Jack Clark. The winger cut inside before curling the ball into the far corner past a stranded Robin Roefs in goal.