On this day in 2021, Sunderland triumphed 2-0 at home to Ipswich. Late goals from Luke O'Nien and Aiden McGeady gave us a much-needed three points after a run of six games without a win. Here's Sobs' match report from that day.
Ipswich came to the SoL as we strove to end a dismal run of results, and did it somehow. Despite Ipswich having 61% possession, we scored with our only two shots on target and prevented the visitors from troubling Hoff after the break. A late header from Luke and an injury-time penalty from Geads gave us the unlikeliest if wins as we had a bright spell late in the first half that we didn't take advantage of, and a bright spell late in the second half that we did.
As someone else said in these pages recently, a rest is as good as a change, and the international break probably came at the right time for us, as it gave Evans and Flanagan the chance to prove that they could keep the European Champions at bay for Norn Irn, and the others to have a rare day off to recover from all the minor niggles that come in modern football. Thursday saw the sad passing of former player Gary Moore, who made fourteen appearances in the mid-sixties, scoring twice. He left for Grimsby in February 1967, and part of the deal was presumably the friendly we played there a year later. Gary scored Grimsby’s second goal in a 3-2 Sunderland victory, in the 90th minute, after future player Doug Collins (aye, that one) had got their first to pull it back to 3-1. Our goals came from Ralph Brand, Brian Heslop, and an OG from Dave Boylen. Sedgefield lad Moore went on to play for Southend, Colchester, Chester, and Swansea before leaving the game in 1978, returning a decade late as coach at Blyth Spartans. Gary Moore, 1945-2021, RIP.
There was also a swift return from loan for young Pato, in response to Burge twanging something vital, so he took his place on the bench alongside Flanagan, O'Brien, Alves, Pritchard, Dajaku, and McGeady.
On the field were
Hoffmann, Winchester, Wright, Doyle, Gooch, O'Nien, Embleton, Neil, Evans, Broadhead, and Stewart.
I didn't put them in any sort of formation because I couldn't work out who was playing where, other than Hoff, Stewart and Broadhead.
There was a nice chance meeting with Blue Bells Bitterman Will Fort, fresh from Ponteland airport and all the way from Minnesota fir the game, and an all too brief catch-up.
We kicked off south, and Luke went to left back. Formation sorted, and a large and noisy contingent from Suffolk explained all those tractors outside the Hilton.
Two Ipswich corners came in the first two minutes, which we dealt with, but O'9 was getting dragged into the middle, and our long balls forward were awful, which allowed Ipswich to dominate possession. A left footer from Embo didn't curl enough and sailed well wide as we made a rare foray forward, then Evans was horribly late on the centre spot and was booked on 19.
We livened up on 25 minutes, and nearly squeezed one in at the near post after good play down the right. About time, and it coincided with Embo going central rather than being on the right, and Gooch taking up the right- side berth while Broadhead went left. A smart save by the Hoff down to his left came when the Ipswich man should really have buried it on the half hour.
Gooch smashed into a perfectly good challenge on halfway near the dugouts and was booked on 34, after the ref had failed to punish at least two clear fouls by the visitors. A couple of right-wing corners on 37 brought no reward, but at least we were getting into the game.
A promising break ended when Stewart went down in the box on 40 which I'd like to see again - I've seen them given, as they say on MOTD. Hoffman then pulled off three (aye, three) point-blank saves in quick succession, before LJ was booked, presumably for telling the ref he was rubbish. Two more corners followed as the ref lost the plot again and gave Wright a lecture - and he then missed a rugby tackle in the box. Man, how blind/daft/incompetent do they have to be? Where do they get them from?
Three added minutes were announced, in which Luke's cross was an inch too far ahead of Stewart's toe and Ross could only get the slightest of touches rather than hit the net.
We finished the half the stronger side, but not until we'd seen Ipswich dominant for most of the half with 58% possession. We'd had five shots, but none on target, while they'd had eight and forced four saves out of the Hoff. To put it simply, we weren't holding onto the ball and you have to feel sorry for Broadhead - he was making the runs and taking up good positions, but we didn't get the ball to him often enough.
The second half didn't start until nearly ten past four, and we made no changes and Ipswich were straight on the attack. It took us four minutes to get the ball out of our half, and then Stewart's ball across the edge of the box saw Luke push his marker to end a promising move. Again, our passing out of defence was poor, but the ref at least booked a visitor when Luke went down as if he'd been punched in the guts on 54. It turned out his shoulder had gone again, which is why he took no more throw-ins.
He was fouled again soon after, and made the crazy decision to take the free while still on the ground. What do they put in his tea? On 61, Embo made way for Geads - the result of losing the ball too often, I think. Too many wayward passes. Gooch moved inside to accommodate the change, then a booking for Stewart was harsh as our attack broke down on 64. A Geads clip over the defence set Winch away, but he couldn't get it properly controlled and it was a corner. Geads then took a bit too long getting this shot away and it was blocked - and Ipswich started wasting time. On 75, just after yet another foul on Stewart brought no card, Pritch replaced Evans. Gooch went to right back with Winch pushing forward, and that proved crucial soon after.
Dajaku replaced the unfortunate Broadhead on 79, presumably to get some movement down the wing. Then a first for me, as an Ipswich player miskicked a free, but the ref allowed him to have another go! Unbelievable, Jeff/Geoff! as they say on Soccer AM.
Dajaku chased a through ball on 84 and won a corner on the left, which Pritch slung to the back post, where O'9 rose - and, in slow motion, it went in. Did he head it, or did it hit him? Who knows, and more importantly, who cares?
Whey yer bugger man!
It's nearly got even better right on 90 as Dajaku ran onto a clever flick over the fullback, only to see his effort hit the bar - but it was called off-side anyway, and five added minutes were announced. A minute into that, Stewart's shot hit a hand and we had a penalty. Geads smacked it home to the keeper's right for the unlikeliest of two-goal leads.
Dajaku was there again, howking an ambitious effort a couple of yards wide just before the whistle.
Seasons sometimes turn on the scrappiest of 1-0 wins. Let's hope this one gets back on track with the scrappiest of 2-0 wins.
Man of the Match? Simply because of the impact the had, allowing Winchester to get the chance in midfield, I'm giving it to Dajaku. His presence had prevented their right-back from getting forward, and that killed a big part of Ipswich's forward play.
