PLAY-OFF PLAYER RATINGS

Sunderland secured promotion back to the Premier League after a long eight-year absence which feels like even longer. We looked dead and buried just beyond the half hour mark - Sheffield United had taken the lead, they’d just scored a second and our team captain had been forced off injured. Then, like a twist out of a romantic sports film, their second was chalked off by VAR and this changed the game. We grew into the affair from then on, culminating in some appropriate drama right til the very end of the concluding half. Eliezer Mayenda equalised, then Tommy Watson fired us to the Promised Land with virtually his last kick as a Sunderland player.

ANTHONY PATTERSON: 9.5/10

Was immediately called into action to make a fantastic save within the first few minutes and made another stupendous stop not long before we equalised. To say he kept us in it would be an understatement, he was fantastic. His passing was brilliant today as well.

TRAI HUME: 8/10

He managed to get one of his trademark slide tackles in today, which was great to see. Battled well for the ball and made a few decent runs in the first half that just went unnoticed.

DAN BALLARD: 9/10

Struggled a tad in the immediate aftermath of O’Nien’s injury but grew into the game really well and hardly put a foot wrong for the remainder of the match.

LUKE O’NIEN: N/A

No rating because he played less than two minutes, but it’s perhaps no coincidence we conceded not long after he went off. His leadership role on the pitch is crucial and he’s way more pacy than Chris Mepham so he could have caught their breakaway before it led to us going behind.

DENNIS CIRKIN: 6.5/10

Really struggled in the first half, way off the boil. Turned it on after the break and looked his usual solid self.

CHRIS RIGG: 6.5/10

It was the right decision to bring him off, although he did get the second of only two shots for us during the opening 45 and he did get into some good positions. His main problem today was that he didn’t turn quick enough to cause any threat.

DAN NEIL: 6/10

Really out of sorts in the first half, improved in the second but he didn’t contribute as much as he is capable I felt. 

JOBE BELLINGHAM: 7.5/10

Also struggled to begin with and wasn’t turning quick enough, but grew into the game and put shakiness when challenging for the ball behind him after the team talk.

ROMAINE MUNDLE: 6/10

Struggled to get past his man in the final third but worked hard to get there. Looked hesitant, in hindsight he probably wasn’t fit enough to start and should have been used as an impact sub.

ENZO LE FEE: 7/10

Did well but not as influential as he was in the semi-finals, struggled when things got physical.

ELIEZER MAYENDA: 9/10

Had our best chance of the first half and scored the equaliser. Was very isolated initially but this was fixed when Isidor reinforced the attack later on.

SUBS:

CHRIS MEPHAM: 8/10

Admittedly, he was a major component in their goal but it’s hard to find any problems  

elsewhere with his performance.

PATRICK ROBERTS: 9/10

What a ball to get the assist for our first! He made our right side so much more difficult to deal with and he had a great workmanlike attitude to things.

TOMMY WATSON: 10/10

Scored the goal to send us back to the Premier League, and it was a fantastic strike. That’s enough to justify the ten rating. His performance overall was brilliant too. Patterson’s still Man of the Match but I had to give Watson a ten, especially because he won’t play for us again.

WILSON ISIDOR: 7/10

Didn’t do too much on the ball but his presence was enough to change the dynamics of our attacks for the better.

LEO HJELDE: N/A

He was only on the pitch for a matter of seconds but nice to see him involved.