Sunderland 2 Watford 2 - Hosts defender Dennis Cirkin nets late leveller as Sunderland share the spoils against Watford in their Sky Bet EFL Championship contest at The Stadium of Light in the North East

Sky Bet EFL Championship, Saturday February 8th

It was that time of year again, off up to the North East with my Step Mum to watch Sunderland at The Stadium Of Light in honour of my late father and her late husband (he has been gone seventeen years this year, how the years fly by eh) to watch his beloved Black Cats and hope and pray they could do the business against Watford in the Sky Bet EFL Championship.

Due to TV coverage (the match was the main lunchtime game on Sky Sports Football) it meant a 12:30pm kick off time so meaning travelling up on the Friday and staying in the Hilton next to the ground, with me having a room overlooking the stadium, which was nice, and a good way to prepare ourselves for the stress and strain of watching Sunderland the following day, it's never normally straightforward and has often ended in disappointment over the years since we have been doing this since my fathers passing in 2008.

We have seen them win on a few occasions though, and there was a bit more optimism this year that we may see a positive outcome in this one as Sunderland have been doing very well this season, they are right in the mix for promotion to the Premier League, and began kick off in fourth spot and just a couple of points off the automatic promotion spots.

There play off spot does look pretty secure now, famous last words!!! I only say this because Sunderland were a massive fourteen points clear of seventh place, and in fact fourteen points clear of fifth, the top four sides had built quite a gap, so those four, including the Black Cats, were the ones battling for automatic promotion realistically.

They welcomed a Watford side to SOL who although in tenth spot and had lost their last three, were only three points off the top six themselves, as is the nature of the championship and how tight it always is, so if they could cause a surprise in this one then they could well find themselves level with the final play off spot.

This wasn't going to be a easy ride then was it, and no doubt ninety minutes of twists and turns emotionally for us as it always is, Sunderland were in happy mood after their triumph at Middlesbrough on Monday night though so needed to take that momentum into this one, and things looked good early on when Sunderland managed to grab the lead in the 16th minute.

Enzo Le Fee's corner was deep and beyond the back post, from where Trai Hume volleyed back across for Luke O'Nien to dive and head home from two yards as the Hornets defence stood and watched. It had been a brilliant start for the hosts and we dared to dream that maybe, just maybe, this would be a routine afternoon for the home side. Le Fee, on loan from Roma of course, had already showed how good a player he was, one of those players who gets you interested every time he gets the ball, a class player indeed.

O'Nien almost scored a second with a glancing header from Hume's cross, but there after they seem to stop the press and allow Watford a lot of the ball, frustrating the home support a bit, althougb despite this Anthony Patterson in the hosts goal barely had much to do, but the Black Cats were stunned just before half time when the visitors equalised.

Mamadou Doumbia, the 18-year-old striker making his first Championship start for Watford, forced a fine save from keeper Patterson with a header and was brought down by Cirkin as he tried to get to the rebound. Penalty, it was a stupid challenge from Cirkin as the striker was running away from goal, so all he had to do was guide him towards the touchline, but it gave the visitors a golden chance to level from nowhere.

And Tom Dele-Bashiru sent Patterson the wrong way from the spot for his first goal since scoring a penalty in the reverse fixture at Vicarage Road in September, a game Watford did actually win, and now we were thinking this will be one of those games again, it nearly got worse in first half stoppage time as well as Ryan Andrews went close to giving Watford the lead when his deflected shot whistled just past the far post.

The home fans were restless to say the least, with some boos at half time being heard around the stadium from the majority of the 41,000 plus crowd, the game was back in the balance after such a positive looking start from the home side, and as we went and got our half time cuppa, we hoped for a better outcome in the second period.

Watford's season looked like it might derail over Christmas and New Year with seven defeats in 10 games, but they threatened a shock win when they went ahead less than a minute after the restart thanks to a magnificent goal from Imran Louza, as after receiving the ball 30 yards out, the Morocco midfielder hit a left-footed shot full of pace and curl that flew into the top corner with Patterson having no chance.

It was a superb goal it has to be said, most of the crowd missed it as they were still coming back from their half time refreshments, but the atmosphere had certainly changed from one of positiveness to despair, they like us were now fearing the worst and the hosts six match unbeaten run looked like it was coming to an end.

The hosts seemed disjointed and Watford were now executing a terrific game plan mastered by boss Tom Cleverley, who has been under huge pressure recently, Sunderland huffed and puffed in search of an equaliser, but Watford seemed comfortable now and if they were to get a third, the game would surely be over, the home fans and myself certainly couldn't see a way back for Sunderland, so I was preparing myself and my soul for a disappointing loss.

However, Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris made some changes, and this seemed to galvanize the hosts who began to crank up the pressure on The Hornets, just like the early exchanges in the first period, and in the 89th minute Sunderland's late pressure eventually paid off, and it came from an unlikely source, with left-back Cirkin scoring after Wilson Isidor had flicked on Le Fee's corner. The corner has been completely mis hit, but it turned out to be good enough, could Sunderland go on and net a winner in the five minutes of stoppage time that was to follow.

Well, they should have done, and snatched all three points in injury time but for two crucial saves from Watford's debutant goalkeeper Egil Selvik, who denied both Isidor and substitute Milan Aleksic when one-on-one. It was a crazy and dramatic ending and so nearly ended in the positive outcome we all wanted, but fair play to Selvik who kept his side level as Watford did manage to cling on and earn what was probably a deserved point for them.

Sunderland would have been disappointed not to have won it, although before they levelled they would have taken a point, as it is, the Wearsiders are now seven points behind leaders Leeds, five points behind second-placed the Blades and two points adrift of Burnley in third after drawing a second successive home game, although they are still in a very good spot for the playoffs whatever happens, you'd hope!!!

Anyway, not sure how me or step mum felt afterwards, relieved that they managed to continue their unbeaten run and not lose, or gutted that they could not take one of those late late chances to win it, probably a bit of both, but I for one was exhausted mentally afterwards, and physically too, it does take it out of you doesn't it!!!

No doubt my father was watching from above, miss you so so much Dad, another birthday goes by, he would have been 72 on the day of this game, gone but never forgotten, and I hope your beloved Black Cats can get back to the promised land soon, maybe at the end of the season, who knows.

Full time Sunderland 2 Watford 2