Teams:

SAFC - Gordon, Whitehead, Nosworthy, Higginbotham, Collins, Edwards (Leadbitter 60), Reid, Miller, Richardson, Chopra (Murphy 85), Jones.

Subs not used - Fulop, Harte, Prica.

MFC - Jones, Young, Wheater, Pogatetz, Taylor, Cattermole (Rochemback 57), Boateng, Arca, Downing, Alves, Sanli.

Subs not used - Turnbull, Shawky, Johnson, Grounds.

Goals:

SAFC - Higginbotham 6, Chopra 45, Murphy, 90.

MFC - Sanli 4, Alves 73.

Match Stats:

Ref - Steve "Im Proud Of Being Crap" Bennett

Attendance - 45,059 (Stadium of Light)

Possession - SAFC 52%-MFC 48%

Shots on target - 5-7

Shots off target - 5-4

Fouls: 14-9

Match Pics:

Review:

Sunderland came out and started very slowly and sloppy at the back. Boro's 1st goal came from a poor clearance from nyron and he ran towards the ball, left a huge gap for tuncay to run into and alves put a great ball over the top. Tuncay's finish wa top class. 1-0 to spurs on 4 minutes.

Although it was an early setback for sunderland they responded very well, chopra missed a great chance and his shot from 6 yards was blocked and the ball went over the bar. The corner was taken short an a cross was put in, the ball got cleared to collins and he put a fanastic cross in for higginbotham and he headed it accross the keeper. 1-1 and game on.

Sunderland had the better of the chance with jones winning everything in the air and chopra making some fantastic runs. I was very impressed with Chops, he was causing a lot of problems even though he was getting ullied about by wheater an getting nothing off the referee. he had a good chance when he bended his run and got behind the defense, but his lob from a tight angle just missed the far post.

Boro had a great chance with some fantastic play and cross from Downing and tuncay's header just went past the post.

Just before half time chopra made another fantastic run off the ball in identical the same position as when he tried to lob brad jones, this time he cut inside, beat his man and rifled a shot off the underside of the bar and into the goal. fantastic goal and SoL went crazy. A well deserved start for chopra has prooved good as he scored what could be a crucial goal at a great time in the game.

2nd half and sunderland came out fast, with jones being clean through on goal but the ball just wouldnt settle for him and brad jones made a good save. Soon after jones had a bad head injury, it looked serious as the ref seemed to be puttin pressure on his head, jones looked out cold... the ref wiped his hands on his shorts. Then it was a fantastic site when jones stood up and the crowd were all chanting KENWYNE JONES! It was a big cheer and well deserved. About 1 minute later wheater used his elbow to shove jones off the ball, i would suspect he was trying to open up the wound. It happened again later in the game.

The next big chance fell to chopra, when whitehead put a cross accross the 6 yard box and chopras shot across goal was well saved. That goes down as a good save, not a bad miss.

Boro had a great chance when they hit us on the counter attack, with the 1st shot being blocked and downings rebound well saved off gordon.

It would be boro who would strike next. A slight suspicion of offside but to be honest if it was sunderland scoring and it went against us i would be upset. The ball was played to alves and his shot clipped gordon shoulder and rolled over the line.

Sunderland still looked a threat, with murphy on the field and chopra off we had a bit more power up front. And in 91st minute from a corner murphy got to leadbitters corner ahead of pogatetz and brad jones and the ball hit the underside of the bar, went over the line and came out. GOAL! Fantastic result for sunderland 3-2 and no time for a response. It was a year ago to the day when sunderland won promotion in a 3-2 win over burnley with the same sort of game. Both on my birthday! :-D

Sunderland stay up! And it was great to see the fans chanting Julio and he walked down the tunnel, that man is a legend and sunderland and he will be remembered for his services by all of us for a long time to come!

The players who deserve a mention i think is jones as always, fantastic, he wn everything and he was a fighter, he took a few beatings but always bounced back. Collins and higgy, both fantastic, they were rocks at the back. Collins never fails and he is my player of the season. Chopra was man of the match, he looked a big threat, his off the ball runs caused major problems and he was playing well along side jones, which we have failed to see since they both joined sunderland!

Ha'way The Lads!

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