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.
