Sunderland on this day: 50-year wait for a Red and White success

But the Red and Whites have to go back a full half century – 50 years – for their last victory on this date, November 19.

Since a thrilling 4-3 triumph against Burnley in 1966, Sunderland have drawn three and lost three of their six matches on this date.

Here we look back at Sunderland’s 10 most recent November 19 matches.

Sunderland 0 Fulham 0

November 19, 2011

Sunderland suffered an afternoon of frustration after completely dominating against Fulham.

Kieran Richardson and Jack Colback both hit the woodwork in the first half as the unambitious Londoners set out to defend in numbers throughout.

And, after dominating possession and creating plenty of pressure in the second half, the Black Cats might have pinched it with virtually the last kick of the game – a goal-bound Stephane Sessegnon shot deflected but keeper Mark Schwarzer stuck out a leg as he was gong the wrong way and had the good luck to see the ball strike him and bounce out.

Fulham were content to play the waiting game, looking to absorb the home side’s pressure and hit on the break and home keeper Keiren Westwood enhanced his reputation with an excellent save in each half.

The visitors could have pinched the points near the end when they broke on Sunderland and had numbers over only for Clint Dempsey to drag his shot across the face of goal.

SUNDERLAND: Westwood, O’Shea, Bardsley, Turner, Brown, Cattermole, Elmohamady (Noble), Sessegnon, Bendtner, Colback (Ji), Richardson

FULHAM: Schwarzer, Hughes, Baird, Hangeland, Senderos, Murphy, Duff (Ruiz), Etuhu, Zamora (Johnson), Dembele, Dempsey

Att: 37,688

Sunderland 1 Aston Villa 3

November 19, 2005

A fifth successive defeat kept Sunderland rooted to the foot of the Premiership table.

After reaching half-time goalless, the Wearsiders fell behind to a 55th-minute strike by former Black Cats star Kevin Phillips, heading home a cross from full-back Aaron Hughes.

Villa doubled their advantage through Gareth Barry, in the 82nd minute, after impressive work from youngster James Milner.

The visitors ensured all three points 60 seconds later as Milan Baros struck, set up by Luke Moore.

Dean Whitehead converted a stoppage-time penalty for Sunderland’s consolation, after Jon Stead was fouled by Liam Ridgewell.

SUNDERLAND: Alnwick, Nosworthy (Woods), Hoyte, Breen, Stubbs, Bassila, Whitehead, Miller, Stead, Le Tallec, Welsh (Murphy)

ASTON VILLA: Sorensen, Hughes, Bouma, Mellberg, Ridgewell, Davis (Bakke), Milner, McCann, Baros (Hendrie), Phillips (Moore), Barry

Att: 39,707

Sunderland 1 West Brom 1

November 19, 1988

A fourth 1-1 draw in five games saw Sunderland slip back a place to 10th in the Second Division.

Denis Smith’s men fell behind on 25 minutes when Gary Robson, born in Chester-le-Street and brother of Manchester United and England star Bryan, gave Albion the lead.

But Sunderland kept fighting and were rewarded with a deserved equaliser from Gary Bennett four minutes from time.

SUNDERLAND: Hesford, Gray, Agboola, Bennett, MacPhail, Doyle (Gates), Owers, Armstrong, Whitehurst, Gabbiadini, Pascoe

WEST BROM: Naylor, Bradley, Albiston, Talbot, Whyte, North, Hopkins, Goodman, Robson (Paskin), Palmer, Anderson

Att: 18,141

Sunderland 0 West Ham 1

November 19, 1983

Sunderland were brought back down to earth as the Hammers secured all three points in a tight First Division clash at Roker Park.

Buoyed by successive wins over Arsenal (2-1) and Watford (3-0), the Red and Whites were in confident mood for the visit of John Lyall’s West Ham.

But all their positive play came to nought as the visitors defended strongly and snatched victory eight minutes from time, with a goal from future Sunderland forward Dave Swindlehurst.

Defeat saw Alan Durban’s Rokermen drop back down to 16th place.

SUNDERLAND: Turner, Venison, Pickering, Atkins, Chisholm, Hindmarch, Bracewell, Rowell, West, Proctor, James

WEST HAM: Parkes, Stewart, Lampard, Walford, Martin, Devonshire, Whitton, Cottee, Swindlehurst, Brooking, Pike

Att: 19,921

Notts County 2 Sunderland 2

November 19, 1977

Jimmy Adamson’s Sunderland extended their unbeaten Second Division run to six games in an entertaining draw at Meadow Lane - but they were left gutted by a last-gasp home leveller.

Les Bradd gave Notts a 13th-minute lead, but Sunderland turned the game around in five dramatic minutes before the half-hour mark.

Bobby Kerr equalised on 25 minutes and Sunderland’s confidence grew as Wilf Rostron put them on course for victory soon after.

But Jimmy Sirrel’s Notts had the last word, stunning Sunderland with Arthur Mann’s final-minute equaliser.

Sunderland, nevertheless, rose a place to seventh in the table.

NOTTS COUNTY: McManus, Richards, O’Brien, Chapman, Stubbs, Birchenall, Carter, Vinter (Hooks), Bradd, McVay, Mann

SUNDERLAND: Siddall, Henderson, Bolton, Kerr, Elliott, Ashurst, Rostron, Arnott, Greenwood, Holden, Rowell

Att: 12,247

Leeds United 2 Sunderland 0

November 19, 1969

Relegation-bound Sunderland failed to score for the fourth successive game as they came unstuck at Elland Road.

Little more than two weeks after holding Don Revie’s men to a goalless draw at Roker Park, Sunderland were beaten in the return as Leeds secured both points in comfortable fashion, although the visitors were not killed off until a second goal six minutes from time.

Mick Jones made the breakthrough midway through the first half, but Sunderland, who handed John Lathan his debut as a second-half sub for Joe Baker, stayed in the game until Peter Lorimer made it 2-0 on 84 minutes. Leeds went on to finish as runners-up to Everton

Sunderland stayed bottom of the table and only escaped the drop zone briefly before being relegated.

LEEDS UTD: Sprake, Reaney, Cooper, Bremner, Charlton, Hunter, Lorimer, Madeley, Jones, Bates, Gray

SUNDERLAND: Montgomery, Irwin, Ashurst, Todd, Heslop, McGiven, Harris, Hughes, Baker (Lathan), Kerr, Park

Att: 25,890

Sunderland 4 Burnley 3

November 19, 1966

Super Sunderland hit back from 1-0 and 3-1 down to hit four goals for the second successive home match.

Ian McColl’s men fell behind to a goal from Northern Ireland centre-forward Willie Irvine on 29 minutes, but Neil Martin levelled just before half-time.

Andy Lochhead gave the Clarets the lead again early in the second period, and Sunderland looked doomed as Irvine made it 3-1 just before the hour mark.

But George Mulhall threw Sunderland a lifeline five minutes later, then two goals in two minutes, from John O’Hare and winger Mulhall, secured a dramatic victory, lifting the Rokermen to 14th place in Division One.

SUNDERLAND: Montgomery, Irwn, Ashurst, Todd, Hurley, Kinnell, Herd, O’Hare, Martin, Baxter, Mulhall

BURNLEY: Blacklaw, Angus, Elder, O’Neil, Miller, Todd, Morgan, Lochhead, Irvine, Harris, Coates

Att: 32,526

Sunderland 4 Leyton Orient 1

November 19, 1960

Alan Brown’s Sunderland climbed five place to 10th in Division Two on the back of a convincing home victory.

All five goals came in a dramatic final 24 minutes, with Stan Anderson finally giving Sunderland the lead on 66 minutes.

Ian Lawther made it 2-0 10 minutes later, and Ambrose Fogarty added a third goal six minutes from time.

Eddy Brown gave Orient a consolation in the final minute, but Lawther struck again in the dying seconds to restore the three-goal cushion.

SUNDERLAND: Wakeham, Nelson, Ashurst, Anderson, Hurley, McNab, Hooper, Fogarty, Lawther, McPheat, Overfield

LEYTON ORIENT: George, Eagles, Charlton, Facey, Bishop, Worrell, White, Brown, Johnston, Gibbs, McDonald

Att: 16,815

Luton Town 8 Sunderland 2

November 19, 1955

The table-topping Bank of England club endured a nightmare at Kenilworth Road, in the first of three successive hammerings there in Division One.

Humiliated 8-2 on this day, Sunderland followed up with a 6-2 drubbing at Luton in 1956-57 and a 7-1 beating in the relegation campaign, 1957-58.

Incredibly, 21 goals conceded in three games at Luton.

Sunderland were top of the table going into the trip to Bedfordshire and were happy to be goalless after half an hour.

But four goals in 12 minutes had them reeling at the break, as Gordon Turner’s penalty opener was added to by Mick Cullen, Jimmy Adam and Bob Morton.

Morton and another Turner spot-kick extended the lead to 6-0 by the 64th minute, with Sunderland pulling one back, through Ted Purdon, 10 minutes later.

Cullen and Morton, completing his hat-trick, made it 8-1 before Purdon bagged a second reply late on.

LUTON TOWN: Baynham, Dunne, Aherne, Pemberton, Owen, Shanks, Cullen, Turner, Morton, Cummins, Adam

SUNDERLAND: Fraser, Hedley, McDonald, Anderson, Daniel, Aitken, Bingham, Fleming, Purdon, Chisholm, Shackleton

Att: 25,785

Sunderland 3 Wolves 1

November 19, 1949

Sunderland climbed to ninth place following a fine victory against Stan Cullis’s side at Roker Park.

Tommy Wright made the breakthrough just before the half hour, and Ivor Broadis set Sunderland up for a sixth home win, in an unbeaten eight-game start at Roker Park, when he scored five minutes later.

Tommy Reynolds made the game safe seven minutes from time for Bill Murray’s men, though Willie Forbes instantly pulled one back for the well-beaten visitors.

SUNDERLAND: Mapson, Stelling, Hudgell, Watson, Walsh, A Wright, T Wright, Broadis, Davis, Shackleton, Reynolds

WOLVES: Williams, McLean, Pritchard, Russell, Shorthouse, Wright, Hancocks, Forbes, Pye, Smyth, Mullen

Att: 51,487