On this day in 1990, Sunderland booked a place in the Second Division with a 2-0 victory at St James’s Park in front of a crowd of 32,000. On a damp pitch, the hotly contested match at times almost got out of hand. Needless to say, there were plenty of hard challenges flying in and naturally, the damp ground provided ideal lubrication for a trademark John Kay cruncher.
We hadn’t made full use of our home advantage in the first leg, taking a 0-0 draw into the away leg and Newcastle were bookies favourites to win, having finished just outside of the automatics. Indeed, it was Newcastle who threatened early, coming close by hitting Tony Norman’s post. However, the lads in blue (we were wearing that tremendous Vaux number with the chevron sleeves and) soaked up the early pressure well. The Lad’s shorts, once white, were largely streaked with mud as we attacked 12 minutes in. Kay won the ball around the halfway line for a throw. Gabba on the right calmly kicked it over his head down the line to Owers. Owers took it in his stride, performing a stepover then essentially a karate kick to square the ball across the six yard box and into the path of the onrushing Eric Gates who slotted past the keeper, with Armstrong arriving behind him.
1-0 Sunderland in the 13th minute.
We went forward again, with our number 10 battling on the by-line, gathering the ball and putting a great ball into the box. The ball from Marco was met with scrambled, flailing bodies from both sides trying to get a purchase on the ground and a foot on the ball, before the ball was eventually back with Gabba, then back in the box, and then finally cleared. On 38 minutes one of Kay"s fearsome challenges did earn him a yellow,
A couple of times the home fans looked to the muddy the turf even further by getting up out of their seats and over the advertising boards, with some actually managing to get on the grass. Those who weren’t trying to invade the pitch were ensuring that they were getting on their teams back at each break in play, getting increasingly animated as the half wore on.
A deflected Gabbiadini ball troubled their goalkeeper, but clear cut chances grew fewer and fewer. However, it was all Sunderland attacking. Then, a really good opportunity came. After their keeper made a save, Owers pounced on a loose ball and had a shot saved from close range. He should’ve scored. Luckily, Gabbiadini was able to win the game towards the end and spurned chances didn’t matter one bit as the travelling contingent behind the goal went mental. Gabba feigned a shot, played a one two and received the ball back, slotting into the bottom right with his left foot.
2-0 Sunderland, and only five minutes to go.
Minutes later, Mags were on the pitch trying to force the game to be abandoned. The rage that had threatened all game had finally boiled over and the beaten and raging morons in the stand had emptied onto the pitch. As referee George Cortney took the players off the pitch for their own safety, he told a worried Gary Bennett " "I'll finish this game if we're here until midnight."
'They would remain in the division and it appeared we would as well, having lost 1-0 in the final. However, due to Swindon’s financial troubles, we went up having lost, most likely leaving a lot of Mags fuming. Finished sixth and still went up.
