Colin Randall writes: We did it as we all, er, knew we would. And despite allowing Everton a fair amount of possession, we did it in style, with en emphatic scoreline and a clean sheet that rarely looked under threat. Patrick van Aanholt’s free kick left Joel Robles hopelessly wrong footed in the Everton goal and three minutes later Wearside met paradise as Lamine Kone blasted the first of two poacher’s goals into the net. Kone and Kaboul – who was very close dos coring, too – were towers of strength at the back, too. Never forgetting the incredible job Sam Allardyce has done. Another sell-out crowd got its proper reward: Premier League football maintained. Pete Sixsmith‘s considered account comes later; this is where his seven-word instant verdict appears …
May 10 Sunderland (2) 3 Everton (0) 0 I gather this means Newcastle are relegated
May 6 Sunderland (1) 3 Chelsea (2) 2 An unbelievable second half. Safe on Wednesday?
April 30 Stoke (0) 1 Sunderland (0) Always a chance with Defoe on pitch
April 24 Sunderland (0) 0 Arsenal (0) Excellent point leaves it in our hands
April 16 Norwich City (0) 0 Sunderland (1) 3 Controlled and convincing. Kirchhoff, Kone, Cattermole magnificent
April 10 2016 Sunderland (0) 0 Leicester City (0) 2 Failed to take advantage of others’ results
April 2 2016 Sunderland (0) 0 West Bromwich Albion (0) 0 Much to like, but not quite enough
March 20 2016 Newcastle United (0) 1 Sunderland (1) 1 Great result for Norwich, disappointing for us of Cometh the hour, cometh the Sunderland team
March 5 2016 Southampton (0) 1 Sunderland (0) 1 Oddly a bigger disappointment than losing 8-0
March 1 2016 Sunderland (1) 2 Crystal Palace (0) 2 Borini thunderbolt salvages a scarcely deserved point
Feb 27 2016 West ham United 1 (1) Sunderland (0) 0 Hugely disappointing. Points there for the taking
Feb 13 2016 Sunderland (1) 2 Man Utd (1) 1 Sam’s new boys make all the difference
Feb 6 2016 Liverpool (0) 2 Sunderland (0) 2
1) Could this be the season’s turning point? and
2) *The window’s shut but so’s the trapdoor
Feb 2 2016 Sunderland (0) 0 Manchester City (1) 1 One point was the least we deserved
Jan 23 2016 Sunderland (1) 1 AFC Bournemouth (1) 1 Suppose one point is better than none
Jan 16 2016 Tottenham Hotspur 4 (1) Sunderland 1 (1) Poor decision making on field and benchJan 13 2016
Swansea (2) 2 Sunderland (1) 4 Much improved second half after dismal first and a second texted 7 came in shortly afterwards – Always good to win away in Europe!
Jan 9 2016 Arsenal (1) 3 Sunderland (1) 1 Had chances but they have better players
Jan 2 2016 Sunderland (1) 3 Aston Villa (1) 1 The old hands pulled us through this
Dec 30 2015 Sunderland 0 (0) Liverpool 1 (0): Better performance but the inexorable slide continues
Dec 26 2015 Man City 4 (3) Sunderland 1 (0): Drew second half; shame about the first
Dec 19 2015 Chelsea 3 (2) SAFC 1 (0) *Fought like tigers. Undone by woeful start
Dec 12 2015 SAFC 0 (0) Watford (1) 1 * Disappointingly insipid and cannot complain about result
Dec 5 2015 *Arsenal (1) 3 SAFC (1) 1: Deserved better but couldn’t take our chances
Nov 28 2015 SAFC (0) 2 Stoke City (0) 0 Totally unrecognisable from the last home game
Nov 23 2015 *Crystal Palace (0) 0 Sunderland (0) 1: Winning ugly but winning. Sam’s the Man*
Nov 7 2015: SAFC (0) 0 Southampton (0) 1 A truly dismal display that heralds relegation
Nov 1 2015: Everton (2) 6 SAFC (1) 2 The usual post-derby anti-climax knocks us flat or Quite clear why Advocaat decamped to Holland or The defending was like Halloween: absolutely frightening
Oct 25 2015: SAFC (1) 3 Newcastle United (0) 0 Nothing better than the joy of six
Oct 17 2015: West Bromwich Albion (0) 1 SAFC (0) 0 * At least the pies were good quality to which Sixer adds Another Pantilimon error means still no win
Oct 3 2015: SAFC (2) 2 West Ham United (1) 2 Dick can be proud of his (?) players
September 26 2015: Manchester United (1) 3 SAFC (0) 0 Routine for United thanks to defensive errors
September 22 2015: League Cup: SAFC (0) 1 Manchester City (4) City’s brilliance aided by pathetic Sunderland defending or Defence horribly exposed by a rampant City or Not on the same planet as City
September 19 2015: AFC Bournemouth (2) 2 SAFC (0) 0 Couldn’t recover from a truly abysmal start
September 13 2015: SAFC (0) 0 Tottenham Hotpsur (0) 1 Vastly improved performance not reflected by result
August 29 2015: Aston Villa (2) 2 SAFC (1) 2 * M’Vila and Lens snatch a shaky point
August 25 2015: League Cup 2nd round: SAFC (3) 6 Exeter City (3) 3 Young hearts run free in second half
August 22 2015: SAFC (0) 1 Swansea City (1) 1 Gloom lifting after a more determined performance
August 15 2015: SAFC (0) 1 Norwich City (2) 3 I’ve seen some shockers in my time …
August 8 2015: Leicester City (3) 4 SAFC (0) 2 No encouragement to take from this shocker
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But it wouldn’t be the same. Sunderland and penultimate game relegation avoiders go together like fish and chips, jam and bread and Mike and Bernie Winters. Maybe we can relegate Middlesbrough next season.
Good tactic playing Kone as centre forward.Well done to all,in a very fraught season
I think we’ve got the basis of a very decent squad now, a couple more additions in the summer and I’m confident (no, really, I am) that we can avoid all this threat-of-relegation malarkey next season.
Wow, that’s a shame.
Great performance, good interview by Sam on Sky insisting we build and buy well. Bring on next season