On this day in 2013, Sunderland beat Newcastle 2-1 with goals from Steven Fletcher and Fabio Borini. A wonder strike from the Lads loanee Borini completed what would be the second win in the legendary ‘6 In A Row’ over the Magpies.
This win over the Mags would help Gus Poyet’s side finally ascend up the Premier League from 20th for the first time that season and helped Gus turn around the fortunes of the team in the attempt to pull off a “miracle”.
Sunderland would get their heads in the game quite quickly as only just five minutes into the fixture, Johnson would whip in a cross after receiving the ball from a short corner that Steven Fletcher nodded home to send the Lads 1-0 up.
Fletcher, now elated he’d scored, with a mob of his fellow teammates would jump into the crowd to celebrate with the fans but would receive a yellow card for his ‘excessive’ antics.
The tactics that SAFC had set out for themselves were to exploit the opposition’s weak centre back options; Newcastle were missing key players in the defence such as their captain Coloccini, which would frustrate our rivals early on throughout the first half.
Despite the Black Cats dominance from the off, Newcastle would hit back in the 57th minute and equalise through full back Mathieu Debuchy. Ben Arfa’s low struck shot made its way across the box and Debuchy was ready to poke it home at the far post, unmarked.
Gus Poyet would bring on Liverpool loanee Fabio Borini and he would go on to have a few good chances. But the Mackems would have to wait until the dying minutes to see something special.
Fletcher won a free kick on the halfway line which was taken quickly and Sunderland would keep up this fast tempo when passing the ball. It would make its way to Jozy Altidore who would then lay it off to Borini (was it a heavy touch or a pass?) on the edge of the box. The Italian whacked it into the top corner, running away with his teeth cemented in his hand into the crowd with Jack Colback jumping on his back along with every Sunderland fan in that corner of the stadium.
To combat this strike from the heavens, Alan Pardew would bring on Sammy Ameobi but it was no use as the game would end in a 2-1 Sunderland victory. It was also our first league victory of the season. With this goal, Borini had forever positioned himself into Wearside folklore and Lads fans still look back on the majority of his time with the club fondly.
Sunderland Starting XI: 20 Keiren Westwood, 2 Phil Bardsley, 3 Andrea Dossena, 16 John O’Shea, 24 Carlos Cuellar, 33 Lee Cattermole, 7 Seb Larsson, 11 Adam Johnson, 14 Jack Colback, 17 Jozy Altidore, 9 Steven Fletcher.
Subs: 25 V Mannone, 8 C Gardner, 12 O Celustka, 29 V Roberge 4 K Sung-Yueng, 23 E Giaccherini, 31 F Borini.
Newcastle Starting XI: 1 Tim Krul, 36 Paul Dummett, 3 Davide Santon, 6 Mike Williamson, 26 Mathieu Debuchy, 4 Yohan Cabaye, 7 Moussa Sissoko, 24 Cheick Tiote, 10 Hatem Ben Arfa, 14 Loic Remy, 11 Yoan Gouffran.
Subs: 21 R Elliot, 19 M Haidara, 8 V Anita, 9 P Cisse, 25 G Obertan, 23 S Ameobi, 28 S Ameobi.
