Sunderland made it five game without a win as Phil Parkinson’s side surrendered a lead for the second match in a row.
The opening period was a tight affair with very few chances. Ten minutes into the second period Sunderland took the lead through Charlie Wyke but were pegged back as Callum Connolly scored the equaliser to give the hosts a point.
Sunderland made a second trip to Highbury this month to face Joey Barton’s Fleetwood Town, but this time in League One looking to end a poor spell.
Phil Parkinson made one change for the Friday night game under the lights as Danny Graham came in for the injured Lynden Gooch as Parkinson reverted to a 3-5-2 formation.
Sunderland unleashed Graham down the right-hand side and with Wyke up with him a square pass would have seen the big striker through, but the combination of a bad pass and good play from Tom Edwards stopped the attack.
The lads were playing very direct, and it was working – Wyke was picked out and did well to hold it up and play in Denver Hume who was denied by a good save from Jayson Leutwiler.
Through the opening 20 minutes, Sunderland were edging the match and had the best chance of the early stage with Hume’s effort.
Half an hour into the match and there wasn’t a great deal of quality on show – it was a cagey affair between two sides looking to be at the top of the table this season.
From a Charlie Mulgrew free-kick, Tom Flanagan almost scored an own goal as his header flicked just wide of Remi Matthews' post.
For the second week in a row, Sunderland were denied a penalty as Scowen got to the ball first and looked to have been bundled over in the box, but referee Bobby Madley saw it differently.
The half came to a close, and despite Sunderland edging the half it was a very poor game with neither side taking control.
Two minutes into the second half and Fleetwood came the closest as Callum Camps sensational volley from range rattled the crossbar and Matthews managed to make a brilliant save to deny Paddy Madden from heading in the rebound.
Ten minutes into the half, Connor McLaughlin whipped in a lovely ball and from 15 yards out Wyke got his head to it and just glanced it wide – it would have been a brilliant goal and had Leutwiler scrambling to his right. Just before the hour, Sunderland took the lead, Wyke managed to get on the end of a long ball forward to beat Leutwiler to the ball and nod the ball into an empty net. A fifth goal of the season for Sunderland’s top scorer with a 5th goal of the season.
With 20 minutes to play Sunderland made their first change of the game as Graham came off for Will Grigg who was still looking to get his first goal of the season.
Fleetwood with a scramble in the box had a few shots in quick succession led Wes Burns cracking a shot off the post. From the following corner, Sunderland failed to clear their lines and Callum Connolly managed to tuck it away to get the home side level.
A few minutes after going behind, the lads almost responded as Josh Scowen delivered a lovely ball to Grigg at the back post who couldn’t direct his header from six yards out as it flew over the bar.
Sunderland finally made some more changes with less than five minutes to go – Max Power and McFadzean came on for Hume and Maguire.
The game ended without any late drama as Sunderland suffered another poor result from a winning position.
Full Time: Fleetwood 1–1 Sunderland
ALS Man of the Match: Charlie Wyke
Sunderland: Matthews; McLaughlin, Wright ©, Flanagan; O’Nien, Scowen, Leadbitter, Hume (McFadzean 88’), Maguire (Power 88’); Wyke, Graham (Grigg 70)
Subs not used: Burge, Diamond, Sanderson & Embleton.
