Sunderland

Sunderland were fortunate to get a point as Tuesday's results leave very little resolved at the top of League 1. This division is going down to the final ...

Doesn’t look up to speed yet but we looked better with him in the team. Much better in the second half, got more involved, and put two great crosses into the six-yard box from the left that just evaded Stewart. A little erratic on the ball.

Three teams are fighting for two automatic promotion slots while four are fighting it out for one in the play-offs as season goes to the wire.

Rotherham had most of the first half and Ihiekwe’s goal was just reward for a display that belied their recent away form. But Warne will need his team to dredge from their reserves of character to finish the job. Having been relegated three times from the Championship in the last six years, they have secured instant promotion twice already and under the sure tutelage of Paul Warne they are heavily fancied for a third.

Sunderland's League One campaign is heading for a tense final day but a late Michael Ihiekwe own goal means a win will guarantee Alex Neil's side a top-six ...

They were being outfought all over the pitch, and lacked composure when they did win it back. Sunderland were trying to turn the visiting defence early, going long and into the channels at every opportunity. Sunderland were still yet to have a shot on target when Clarke cut in from the left, and with no one around him Ihiewke erred with his clearance and left his goalkeeper with no chance.

Ex-Arsenal, Middlesbrough and England international Ray Parlour has detailed how he could have joined Sunderland.

"I didn’t ask for it, but he just said, ‘I’m going to give you another £10k a week’ or something like that, and that was it, I stayed at Arsenal and, luckily, I did. It was unbelievable. “For me, it was always about trophies.

With two games to go in their season starting against promotion chasing Rotherham United tonight, the pressure ramps up another notch as they look to nail down ...

From my point of view it’s an honour to manage a team in that stadium and we want the lads to go out and express themselves and hopefully come away with a win." “They’ve got confidence and goals in their team and they will be full of confidence. For Neil as manager, he's steadied a rocky ship and started to instil belief in the fanbase. He’s really well experienced and at a club that won’t phase him. With two games to go in their season starting against promotion chasing Rotherham United tonight, the pressure ramps up another notch as they look to nail down a play-off spot. SUNDERLAND managers of the past have come and gone on Wearside with varying degrees of success.

Sunderland currently sit fourth in League One putting them in the play-off positions but due to how tight it is at the top of the table, they are still only ...

There ar certain teams who are not under as much pressure, as much scrutiny, so when they come to big games it’s a different type of moment for them. Undoubtedly there is massive pressure on both teams in this game but Sunderland boss Alex Neil says it’s just a normal day for him at Sunderland as he told The Chronicle: “Since I’ve walked in the door, everyone I speak to tells me how big the next game is! That being said, there is no doubt that the Sunderland boss will have had his team working hard in preparation for this game and with them being in good form and coming into the game on the back of a 5-1 win at the weekend, their confidence will be high.

Some things are more important than money - and, to Ray Parlour, that thing is Arsenal Football Club.And 'The Romford Pele' has revealed that he rejec.

“I was in such a good team and I was always going to be playing on quite a regular basis as well. “For me, it was always about trophies. It was unbelievable.

Sunderland are one win away from guaranteeing a play-off place after a last-minute own-goal spared them from defeat against Rotherham United.

And instead it was Rotherham who took the lead with their first real attack. With Sheffield Wednesday winning at Fleetwood, Alex Neil's side dropped to fifth in the table but they are now a point ahead of both Plymouth and Wycombe. Neil made three changes to the XI that started the weekend win against Cambridge, one of which was forced upon him.

The Millers made the trip to the North East in good heart following their weekend victory over Oxford United. Warne kept faith with his starting eleven from the ...

Sunderland failed to clear their lines from a Rotherham corner, and Wiles kept his nerve to find Smith, who was in acres of space, but for once the Millers hitman fluffed his lines when he failed to hit the target with a low drilled effort. The Millers had a spot of danger when Rathbone felled Gooch, which saw him cautioned, in an inviting position, but sub Alex Pritchard – a renowned free-kick specialist – curled a delightful effort which smashed into the side netting, to the relief of all those with a Rotherham United persuasion. The home side had the first sight of goal in the second half when Osei-Tutu was caught napping from a ball over the top and Gooch’s assist presented Corry Evans with the chance to strike from the edge of the box but he ballooned his effort over. The Millers fans, who were in the gods of the Stadium of Light - were almost on their feet again – with Barlaser once again the architect – following a lovely weighted corner which saw skipper Richard Wood rise highest to plant a header goalwards but Patterson was ideally placed to snuff out the danger. The home crowd were growing increasingly frustrated with their side and Edmonds-Green clipped a cross which saw Ihiekwe head wide before Osei-Tutu’s lovely inside pass paved the way for Ogbene to burst into the box, but his flashed centre agonisingly evaded a number of Rotherham runners. The home faithful were silenced and it almost got better for the Millers when Ogbene dug out a cross to find Wiles, in an inviting position, on the edge of the box, but the Rawmarsh-born midfielder saw his low drive diverted away from goal by a home defender.

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Missed a big chance before leveller. Smith: Won most things in the air and ran a marathon. Had a chance with the second-half header.

Ihiekwe headed home from a corner on 17 minutes past Anthony Patterson to give the Millers the lead. The 29-year-old former Tranmere defender then put through ...

The result leaves the Owls in fourth place on 82 points, one ahead of Sunderland in fifth, two ahead of Plymouth in sixth position, and two in front of seventh-placed Wycombe. Should the Black Cats fail to win at the Mazuma Stadium, and both Plymouth and Wycombe win, the Wearsiders will miss out on the top six. Neil’s Sunderland, who are fifth on 81 points after the draw, head to 19th-placed Morecambe on the final day of the season, needing a victory to be sure of a place in the play-offs.

Michael Ihiekwe was amongst the goals as he headed the Millers' opening goal of the game in the first half before heading into his own net in the 88th minute ...

It means that victory against Morecambe on the final day of the season would guarantee them a play-off spot. “The game is always going to loosen up in the last 30 minutes," he continued. "My biggest frustration is the goal we conceded.

Hello and welcome to our live blog coverage of Sunderland vs Rotherham United from the Stadium of Light. Sunderland are up to fourth in the League One table ...

Barlaser's driven corner from the right and Ihiekwe gets away from O'Nien to head firmly past Patterson from inside the six-yard box. Best chance of the night for Sunderland Sunderland lost 5-1 at Rotherham at the end of October, with Michael Smith and Freddie Ladapo each scoring twice, and Michael Ihiekwe scoring the other goal. Ross Stewart had briefly levelled at 1-1, and with the score at 3-1 Sunderland were reduced to ten men when Aiden McGeady was sent off. First real attack from Rotherham and it's a warning for Sunderland as Ogbete gets in behind on the right, but he runs the ball out of play before he can get the cross in In fact, the Black Cats could even guarantee a top six finish if they win, although they would also need play-off rivals Sheffield Wednesday to lose at relegation-threatened Fleetwood to make that happen.

How did the players fare in Sunderland's 1-1 draw with Rotherham? SUNDERLAND (3-5-2):. 6 Patterson: Made a couple of important saves, although most of ...

"Of course, we wanted to win the game but I always thought it was going to be a cagey one. But having things in our own hands going into the match is the ...

The plan was always to be big, be strong, compete, and do all that side of the game for 60 minutes because they are the number one pressing team in the league, they don't let you play, they play on top of you and make it difficult. "It wasn't going to be a game full of chances. We had a couple of great opportunities when Luke [O'Nien] flashed the ball across the box, Alex [Pritchard] had a free-kick that everybody thought was a goal. He said: "I wouldn't say I was grateful for a point - I thought we deserved a point with the way the game panned out. "Of course, we wanted to win the game but I always thought it was going to be a cagey one. "We were playing against a Rotherham team that is playing to get promoted.

Sunderland kept their play-off hopes alive with a late equaliser against Rotherham United in League One last night.

"It was my fault for the goal, but we hung on to the end. - 4Sunderland 1 Rotherham United 1: Story of the day after Michael Ihiekwe own goal hands Cats a point in League One play-off race The Millers netted from a corner in the first half and controlled much of the fixture before Sunderland managed to force an own goal late in the second stanza.

"Another late and decisive moment for the Black Cats' play-off push, and what a huge one it may prove to be," writes Finlay Anderson, after last night's 1-1 ...

They were quickly looking more dangerous in the final third, with Lynden Gooch pushing further forward, and the American created a chance for Corry Evans, five minutes into the half, but the midfielder skied his effort. Stewart sent a teasing ball across the face of goal towards the on-rushing Broadhead, only to be collected by Viktor Johansson in the Rotherham goal. Off the pitch and on it the team from South Yorkshire sought to dominate. It was the Millers’ first away league goal since February 26th, and a big one, at that. For too long, Rotherham had it all their own way. But the late own goal means the play-offs are still in Sunderland’s hands heading into a dramatic last day.

Sunderland's League One campaign is heading for a tense final day but a late Michael Ihiekwe own goal means a win will guarantee Alex Neil's side a top-six ...

They were being outfought all over the pitch, and lacked composure when they did win it back. Sunderland were trying to turn the visiting defence early, going long and into the channels at every opportunity. Sunderland were still yet to have a shot on target when Clarke cut in from the left, and with no one around him Ihiewke erred with his clearance and left his goalkeeper with no chance.

Rotherham United boss Paul Warne said he didn't feel his side deserved to concede a late equaliser against Sunderland but added that the hosts played ...

"We knew when we came here that Sunderland are one of the in-form teams. "That they haven't had a shot on target.. "I just told the lads I'm really proud of them, we played with confidence and there were some really good performances. “We now go into the final day. "At 1-0 you're always vulnerable. "They made changes, I thought they respectfully made changes because they knew the energy and pace that we had.

However, if they drop points at Priestfield Stadium, they will find themselves in the play-offs if third-placed MK Dons win at Plymouth Argyle. READ: Sunderland ...

“I thought we deserved to win the game, but I accept that I’m biased. “But when you’ve got 35,000 people cheering you on, it makes a difference. ROTHERHAM UNITED manager Paul Warne says Sunderland are the team to avoid in the League One play-offs.

Sunderland drew against Rotherham United in League One on Tuesday night – and fans were quick to react on social media.

Neil tried to stop the opposition rather than win the game. They dominated the rest and we never looked like scoring a world class own goal, but we did. It’s still in our hands, which is the one positive.”

It was just one of those iconic nights at the Stadium of Light, wasn't it?

Connolly took the ball again, to the audible apprehension of 44,000 collective gasps. Of course, looking back, we all know how it played out – but at this point, a defeat would have meant we were still relying on other teams to go up. If Caldwell was still highly thought of at the club, the other former Sunderland player in the Burnley side tipped the balance at the other end of the scale. The young Irishman tapped in from David Connolly’s cross to ignite the Stadium of Light. Five minutes later, it looked like everything was going to plan as referee Trevor Kettle pointed to the spot after Wayne Thomas pulled down Connolly in the box. Steve Caldwell had captained Sunderland under Mick McCarthy and had been an excellent player for us in his couple of years at the club – scoring the goal versus Leicester that sent us up – but had been somewhat surprisingly jettisoned by Keane shortly after the Irishman’s arrival. The former Manchester United captain took to the management of Sunderland like a duck to water. That’s certainly the plan, then we’ll see what happens with the others. Andy Gray, son of former Sunderland player Frank, had endured (or had we endured) a disastrous spell at the Stadium of Light the previous season. It was a three-way race for two automatic places. I didn’t watch Birmingham’s win at Wolves last weekend either. After an away defeat to Coventry on the opening day we endured hapless performances at the Stadium of Light to Steve Bruce’s Birmingham and Ian Holloway’s Plymouth. And, as we trudged out of the ground after Nick Chadwick’s late winner for Argyle had sent us to the bottom of the league in front of 24,377, it was difficult to imagine where we went from here.

The BRIT Award winner was due to play three shows at the Stadium of Light but has cancelled the first date. | ITV News Tyne Tees.

Fans of Ed Sheeran in Sunderland have been left disappointed after the star cancelled one of his Sunderland shows. "The Friday and Saturday shows will continue to take place as scheduled and ticket holders for the Thursday show will be accommodated at one of those alternative shows." Ed Sheeran fans disappointed after Sunderland tour date is cancelled due to 'scheduling conflicts'

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The Black Cats are set to take on Morecambe as the play-off race hots up.

Are there any tickets available for Morecambe vs Sunderland? Are there any other ways I can follow Morecambe vs Sunderland? That means Sunderland fans in the UK will not be able to stream games that take place between 2:45 and 5:15 on a Saturday afternoon. However, the EFL have also confirmed that clubs will be able to offer a streaming service to UK supporters for any games that take place outside of that Saturday window. The clash between Sunderland and Morecambe won’t be shown on any television channels. What are the odds for Morecambe vs Sunderland?

Sunderland's draw against Rotherham United has kept the race for the playoffs in League One very tight with MK Dons, Wigan Athletic, Wycombe Wanderers, ...

Any defeat for Plymouth or Wycombe would also do the job for Sunderland, as neither will then be able to catch Alex Neil and Co. Plymouth's game at MK Dons ...

Goal difference may be a factor, with all four sides remarkably close. A draw for Sunderland will see them anxiously checking other results. But it's all really about the play-offs as far as Sunderland are concerned, with the battle raging between themselves, Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth Argyle and Wycombe Wanderers. Wednesday know a win over Portsmouth at Hillsborough will secure fourth spot for them, but the Black Cats can still take fourth if they better the Owls' result.

Rotherham United goalkeeper Viktor Johansson reacts after Rotherham United's Michael Ihiekwe (not pictured) scores. Sunderland's Ross Stewart retrieves the ball ...

There is even a route to the play-offs if they lose at Morecambe, although that is not a path Sunderland would wish to tread. As it is, Sunderland now have a one-point advantage over Plymouth and Wycombe, meaning a win will get them over the line regardless of events elsewhere. Their performance may have been underwhelming but, as has been pointed out time and again, at this stage of the season it is the result that matters.

Supporters remain optimistic despite the poor showing against Rotherham, plus concerns about the state of disabled facilities. Got something to say?

Ed’ Note [Rich]: On we go indeed, Craig. It was a poor game of football, one that I am glad is out of the way and one I think neither team deserved to win rather than anyone deserving a point. I have also written to the club for their comments. I thought we deserved a point, we worked hard at the end. Who would I like us to face in the playoff semi-finals if we get there? As the table is so close, it’s impossible to say who we’ll play if we make the playoffs. I’ve just finished listening to the match against Rotherham, and I’m buzzing.

The Sunderland Echo takes a look across the latest speculation in League One... 1. Championship interest in Oxford United defender. Championship club Bristol ...

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