As this miserable season limps inexorably to its end, Pete Sixsmith (whose seven word verdict usually sums up every Sunderland performance) elected to give the long trip to Reading a miss and so today it falls to a super sub to come up with our immediate succinct post match summary. The first half was a tale of two penalty shouts. The Reading one given and converted and the Sunderland claim dismissed. But thanks to a stunning strike from Paddy McNair the scores were level again with almost all of the second period still to play. Then a goal from the most unlikely of sources as Lee Cattermole knocked one in ….with his head! But a one goal lead is rarely enough for the boys in red and white and so it proved. Despite a frantic finish at both ends it’s back to the bottom for the Black Cats.
14 April Reading 2 (1) Sunderland 2 (0) *Going down fighting but still going down
and this from John Marshall at the Madejski *Good team performance but more poor defending
10 April Sunderland 1 (0) Norwich City 1 (0) Yet again far too many basic errors
7 April Leeds Utd 1 (0) Sunderland 1 (0) A moral victory but just not enough
2 April 2018 Sunderland 1 (0) Sheffield Wednesday 3 (0) Total inability to defend crosses equals relegation
30 March 2018 Derby County 1 (1) Sunderland 4 (2) And we were singing in the rain
17 March 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Preston North End 0 (2) Worst performance yet in a dismal season
10 March 2018 QPR 1 (0) Sunderland 0 (0) Lack of Steele leads to inevitable defeat
6 March 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Aston Villa 3 (2) Brown, Stokoe, Smith, Keane – watch and weep
3 March 2018 Milwall (0) 1 Sunderland (1) 1 * a) Unable to defend a lead, paid price … b) Oviedo superstrike not quite enough for win
24 February 2018 Sunderland 3 (1) Middlesbrough 3 (0) Rousing finale brings hope and a point
20 February 2018 Bolton Wanderers (1) 1 Sunderland (0) 0 No lack of effort; just lacking quality
17 February 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Brentford 2 (2) Gets worse by the week. Relegation certs.
10 February 2018 Bristol City 3-3 Sunderland The most unlikely point of the season [but see what he was saying earlier]
3 February 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Ipswich Town 2 (2) Comfortably beaten by an ordinary Ipswich side
30 January 2018 Birmingham City 3 (2) Sunderland 1 (0) *worked hard but just not good enough
20 Januaury 2018 Sunderland 1 (1) Hull City 0 (0) Young players give us hope. O’Shea magnificent
13 January 2018 Cardiff City 4 (0) Sunderland 0 (0) *Nothing positive in yet another shocking performance
6 January 2018 Middlesbrough 2 (2) Sunderland 0 (0) Our many weaknesses exposed far too easily
1 January 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Barnsley 1 (0) Brand new year but same old rubbish
December 30 Nottingham Forest 0 (0) Sunderland (1) 1 Huge win which shows the players care
December 26 Sheffield United 3 (1) Sunderland 0 (0) Comprehensively beaten by a far superior side
December 23 Sunderland 1 (1) Birmingham City 1 (1) * Ten-man Brum hang on for a draw
December 16 Sunderland 1 (0) Fulham 0 (0) * Home win hoodoo over as Maja strikes
December 9 Wolverhampton Wanderers (0) 0 Sunderland (0) 0 *Tremendous defending earns a point at leaders
December 2 Sunderland 1 (0) Reading 3 (0) * Another day when basic errors prove costly
November 25 Burton Albion 0 (0) Sunderland 2 (0) Two goals, three points, and draught Bass
November 21 Aston Villa 2 (1) Sunderland 1 (0) Encouraging signs but need to be stronger
November 18 Sunderland 2 (1) Millwall 2 (2) An awful game compounded by comical goalkeeping
November 5 Middlesbrough 1 (1) Sunderland 0 (0) Bottom of the league and deservedly so.
October 31 Sunderland 3 (1) Bolton Wanderers 3 (3) Neither the result nor performance good enough
October 28 Sunderland 1 (1) Bristol City 2 (1) Hopeless and clueless. Add embarrassing to that.
October 21 Brentford 3 (1) Sunderland 3 (3) * Two in front yet lucky to survive
October 14 Sunderland (0) 1 Queens Park Rangers (1) 1 The elusive home win seems miles away
September 30 Preston North End (0) 2 Sunderland (1) 2 * Seriously entertaining and well worth the point
September 26 Ipswich Town 5 (2) Sunderland (1) 2 Sunderland’s defending plummets to unheard of depths
September 23 Sunderland 1 (0) Cardiff City 2 (1) Undoubtedly the worst Sunderland team I’ve watched
September 20 League Cup 3rd Round: Everton (1) 3 Sunderland (0) 0 * Never looked like scoring, let alone winning
September 16 Hull City 1 (0) Sunderland 1 (1) Hung on but not a sparkling performance
September 12 Sunderland 0 (0) Nottingham Forest 1 (o) Some improvement but we lack any punch
September 9 Sunderland 1 (0) Sheffield United 2 (1) no tactics, appalling team selection,
total embarrassment
August 26 Barnsley 3 (2) Sunderland 0 (0) Alarm bells clanging after a dreadful performance
August 22 League Cup: Carlisle United (0) 1 Sunderland (1) 2 Classy finish by Gooch masks scrappy performance
August 19 SAFC 0 (0) Leeds United 2 (1) Weaknesses exposed by a solid Leeds team
August 16 Sheffield Wednesday (0) 1 Sunderland (1) 1 Looked tired in second half. Decent point
August 13 Norwich City 1 (0) Sunderland 3 (1) Very well organised and three cracking goals
August 8 League Cup: Bury 0 (0) Sunderland (0) 1 Hardly convincing but a win’s a win
August 4 2017 Sunderland (1) 1 Derby County (1) 1 Encouraging second half. Something to build on
