On this day in 2021, Ross Stewart scored a perfect hat trick against Sheffield Wednesday, in a game that put us top of the league going into 2022.
After they comprehensively hammered us at Hillsborough just a few weeks prior, fans were understandably nervous going into the game. Our soft centre had been exposed by the likes of Rotherham, (who smashed us 5-1) and Wednesday were notorious for being physically imposing.
Despite a few Covid positives in the squad, we managed to field a strong team:
Hoffman
Wright Doyle Flanagan
Dajaku Neil Embleton Evans Gooch
Pritchard
Stewart
… and a bench of Burge, Alves, Cirkin, Younger, Hume, Harris, Kimpioka.
The lads kicked off towards the Roker End after a minute’s applause for those we’d lost in 2021. Despite Sheff Wed starting strongly, and attempting to target the young Callum Doyle (he dealt with their physicality very well) we had an advantage after 11 minutes. Dajaku played a perfectly weighted pass behind the Owls’ static defence, for Stewart to break forward and slot home a left-footed shot low past the keeper. Relief for the Sunderland fans and a deserved opener!
The Lads played with a great intensity, hassling the backline at every opportunity. Just after half an hour our hard work paid off when Pritch intercepted a hospital pass and drove towards goal. He played Stewart through for a right-footed finish, into the same bottom corner as his first goal. Well played Lads, and the pressure was off from there.
Things got even better just before half time. Flanagan headed Pritch’s deep corner back across goal, and teenager Callum Doyle was on hand to hammer the header into the back of the net. Great to see the Man City loanee get his first senior goal and run off in celebration.
The second half began much the same as the first - Wednesday were battling well, but just couldn’t contain our energetic pressing. Gooch found himself in the centre circle and spread the ball out to Wright, who put an inch-perfect cross into the unmarked Ross Stewart. The perfect hat trick for the Loch Ness Drogba, and the first time in his career he’d scored three goals.
The game was well and truly over, and on came Benji Kimpioka. Four minutes later the young Swede would score his first league goal after a cross from the lively Dajaku. A well-taken goal to cap off a five-star performance for Lee Johnson’s Sunderland, who went top of the league going into the New Year.
Of course, SAFC would face more Covid cases and fail to pick up a win in their next five games in January. Lee Johnson was eventually sacked and the rest is history…
