Chris Maguire struck home ten minutes from time to hand Sunderland a huge win at home to Ipswich Town and see the hosts go back into the play-off places at the expense of their opponents.
Now as most of you know every year around my late fathers birthday of February 8th me and my step mum travel up to the Stadium Of Light to watch his beloved Sunderland and this year the game fell on what would have been his 67th birthday.
The opposition on this occasion are Ipswich Town who are another one of those teams who are looking to try and gain a place back in the Championship after sinking into the third tier of English football.
This was a big game for both sides who sat 7th and 4th respectively in the League One table, and were coming into this one off the back of defeats, The black cats saw their nine match unbeaten run ended at Portsmouth last weekend, whilst The Tractor Boys lost 4-1 at home to Peterborough United and had lost their last two, so both were looking to bounce back here at the Stadium of Light.
A crowd of over 32,000 were inside the stadium to see what would unfold, and the opening ten minutes saw the visitors have an effort blocked before another visitor’s attack saw a header end up on the roof of the net. Sunderland did find the net with an early attack, but this was ruled out for offside.
The Tractor Boys were the ones who has settled quicker though and they were the ones who were doing all the running in the first half hour or so, and they saw another decent opening blocked inside the box by a desperate home defence, and their was an air of nervousness amongst the home fans and players.
Ipswich then saw a free header go over the bar, but the hosts were starting to show signs of life once the game went past the 30-35 minute mark, so this was a slight encouragement for the hosts. Near the end of the half Ipswich dragged another effort wide of the near post and for all their play in the opening forty-five minutes, Sunderland keeper Jon McLaughlin didn’t have a save to make.
But, apart from the disallowed goal early on, Sunderland had barely threatened the visitors attacking wise in the opening half despite showing some signs of life towards the end of the period, so they would have been the happier at going in goalless at the break. The hosts needed a spark though that was for sure.
Half Time Sunderland 0 Ipswich Town 0
Well, whatever Phil Parkinson said to his side in the changing room certainly galvanised the hosts as they came out a totally different side in the second period, and so nearly grabbed the lead in the 52nd minute when cutting inside and sending an effort against the post before the rebound was mishit into the keepers hands. It was a golden chance and one that had not looked possible in the opening half.
The Black Cats continued to put Ipswich under immense pressure in the opening exchanges of the half but they just could not find a way through the visitors back line, but it looked as though for a time they had weathered this storm, and then won an indirect free-kick inside the box after the hosts had been penalised for a back pass.
A tense few moments then followed as we all waited for the kick to be taken, and once it was taken, the ball was fired to the back post were it was put over the bar, and the hosts could breathe a sigh of relief.
Despite this moment for the Tractor Boys though, Sunderland were dominating this half which was in complete contrast to the first half, and Ipswich were again thankful for the woodwork once again after the hosts thumped an effort against the crossbar, and you started to wonder if this was going to be the hosts day.
In the 80th minute though came the breakthrough, and it was a beautiful first time strike from Maguire after the ball had been laid into his path on the edge of the box, and cue celebration and relief amongst the hosts fans and players, they had just over ten minutes to see this one out.
Obviously this being Sunderland there were a couple of nervy moments to endure, firstly when the visitors got free down the right but as they went to shoot a defender got back to force the effort to go straight at the keeper, and then deep into stoppage time a long throw fell loose in the box and was volleyed over the hosts bar. Phew
After four minutes of stoppage time though, the whistle went, and Sunderland had recorded a big win over a promotion rival. It means Sunderland are into sixth after one defeat in the now, whilst Ipswich have now lost three in a row and slip out of the play-off places into seventh.
Last word to my late father, who this day is all about, I shared a moment with him after the final whistle and got quite emotional to be honest, but this one was for him, as are all of Sunderland wins when we come to watch them. Marvellous stuff indeed…..
Full Time Sunderland 1 Ipswich Town 0
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