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Rugby: Sunderland hopes hit
Promotion now looks unlikely.
Sunderland suffered a devastating blow to their Durham and Northumberland Division One promotion hopes on Saturday.
Stockton overturned an early Sunderland lead to run out comfortable 24-8 winners at Ashbrooke.
Defeat leaves Sunderland three points behind Stockton and a further point adrift of Team Northumbria with a massive uphill task to claim second spot in the league.
Sunderland made a blistering start to the game, putting their visitors under pressure from the off and dominating possession for the opening period of the game. An early Sean Bellon penalty was Sunderland's reward with less than ten minutes on the clock.
The home side kept up the pressure and a highly disputed try allowed them to stretch their lead to eight points after 25 minutes. Sunderland moved the ball from left to right with Dobson missing out both centres
and finding Tom Townend who broke the line at pace.
As Townend was tackled by the covering defender the ball appeared to have been knocked on but the referee adjudged that the Stockton defender had stripped the ball. As the Stockton defence waited for the referees whistle, Bellon capitalised and was able to run in unchallenged for Sunderland's only try of the day.
The disputed try seemed to galvanise the Stockton side as they came back at Sunderland and from a scrum close to the line Stockton set up a driving maul which managed to edge their way over the line to reduce the arrears to 8-5.
Stockton, buoyed by their try, kept up the pressure but it was Sunderland's indiscipline which was to prove their undoing as Stockton scored three quick penalties to take a 14-8 half-time lead.
Sunderland's task made all the more difficult with Peter Carter sin binned for conceding the final penalty of the half.
Down to 14 men Sunderlanand were really under the cosh but defended admirably and saw out the ten minutes without conceding any points. But 15 minutes into the second half, Sunderland suffered a blow with Matt Goforth having to leave the field with a severely gashed head following a stamp from a Stockton player which went unseen by the ref.
Stockton then added to their lead with a further penalty before they were reduced to 14 men with their winger being sin-binned for conceding a cynical penalty at the breakdown.
Sunderland were unable to take advantage of their extra man and after returning to their full compliment Stockton completed the scoring with a well worked move allowing them to score down the left which was converted to complete the scoring.
There were heavy defeats for both Sunderland's other teams rounded off a miserable day with the seconds losing out to a strong Hartlepool Rovers side and the thirds losing out to Gateshead thirds.
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Weather for Sunderland
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
