On this day in 2019, Sunderland went to Fratton Park and drew 0-0 with promotion chasing Pompey. The Lads won the tie 1-0, after Chris Maguire scored a rocket at home in the first leg. Wembley was secured for the second time that season…
Needless to say, Portsmouth were going to be aggressive after losing the first tie 1-0. It was going to be a nerve racking game. Grant Leadbitter got things going when he had a solid long range shot in the second minute. Pompey midfielder Gareth Evans was then booked for a high boot on Lee Cattermole. Despite Jackett’s side needing a goal, it was Sunderland who were doing all the pressing in the opening ten minutes.
However, tempers began to spark when Tom Naylor was booked for slotting the ball off Chris Maguire’s head, after they both dove over the corner flag. It was a big occasion, and both sets of players knew that. Maguire was later booked for a bad tackle. Pompey had a penalty shout when the ball bounced off Luke O’Nien’s arm, there was nothing he could do about it, so it would have been harsh.
Once we got to the halfway mark, Portsmouth began piling on the pressure. But, Sunderland defended well and McLaughlin was exceptional. It was far from the best display of football, both sides were hoofing it long and creating chaos. A long ball eventually found Maguire, he was able to tip it over Craig MacGillivray’s head, but he lost his balance and fell over.
Perhaps the best chance of the game came when Lee Brown whipped a ball into the box. Ollie Hawkins towered over Tom Flanagan and was able to flick the ball onto Gareth Evans, who had his header saved by Jon McLaughlin. It was an absolutely sensational stop. Pompey pushed, but they couldn’t make a breakthrough.
However, the most controversial part of the game came when Tom Naylor charged Luke O’Nien into the stands. The Sunderland player was then kicked and shoved by a Portsmouth fan, who was later fried on social media for his embarrassing actions. Not to mention, he was banned from stadiums for three years. He also exchanged a few words with Lee Cattermole and Max Power. O’Nien later responded to the incident saying “yeah, that’s just football.”
It was a very dramatic end to the game, with lots of heart in mouth moments. However, the Lads saw it out and booked a trip to Wembley. It was a great win, unfortunately it was followed by a heart breaking playoff final defeat to Charlton. But, it was still a good occasion for the fans at Fratton Park.
