Sunderland on this day: The last 10 games on December 3

Sunderland look to kick off a busy December with three points against champions Leicester City in the Premier League today.
Connor Wickham scores Sunderland's opening goal in their 4-1 defeat to Manchester City two years ago today. Picture by Frank ReidConnor Wickham scores Sunderland's opening goal in their 4-1 defeat to Manchester City two years ago today. Picture by Frank Reid
Connor Wickham scores Sunderland's opening goal in their 4-1 defeat to Manchester City two years ago today. Picture by Frank Reid

Here we look back on the last 10 games played by SAFC on this date, December 3.

There are no good omens for this afternoon’s match, with just two Sunderland victories.

Sunderland 1 Manchester City 4

December 3, 2014

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Sunderland were rocked by Sergio Aguero as his double inspired Manchester City’s come-from-behind success at the Stadium of Light.

City must have feared the worst when they fell behind, having lost their four previous trips to Wearside 1-0, but they made no mistake this time.

Gus Poyet’s Black Cats enjoyed a bright start and went ahead in the 19th minute when Seb Larsson’s long ball was taken down by Connor Wickham and flicked over keeper Joe Hart, despite the close presence of defender Pablo Zabaleta.

City quickly levelled, though, as livewire Aguero fired a ferocious effort out of the reach of former team-mate Costel Pantilimon from just inside the box.

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Stevan Jovetic put City in front six minutes before the interval, scoring through Pantilimon’s legs after being set up by Aguero

Defender Zabaleta extended the visitors’ advantage on 55 minutes, chipping Pantilimon after being fed by Samir Nasri.

Aguero made it 4-1 on 77 minutes, converting James Milner’s cross after getting away from Santiago Vergini.

SUNDERLAND: Pantilimon, Vergini, Reveillere, O’Shea, Coates, Cattermole, Larsson, Rodwell, Fletcher (Altidore), Wickham (Alvarez), Buckley

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MANCHESTER CITY: Hart, Zabaleta, Clichy, Boyata, Demichelis, Fernandinho, Navas, Toure, Aguero (Lampard), Jovetic (Milner), Nasri (Pozo)

Att: 41,152

Tottenham 3 Sunderland 2

December 3, 2005

Sunderland’s losing run reached nine in all competitions, eight in the Premiership, as Spurs came from behind to sink Mick McCarthy’s men at White Hart Lane.

Sunderland’s encouraging start to the match was rewarded by a tremendous free-kick opener by Dean Whitehead, curling home from 30 yards after Jon Stead was fouled by Michael Dawson.

Sunderland maintained the lead until the 37th minute when Mido finished off good work from Robbie Keane, and Spurs capitalised to go ahead early in the second half, Mido flicking on and Keane scoring as keeper Ben Alnwick and defender Danny Collins hesitated.

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Sunderland showed great spirit to haul themselves level, with French loanee Anthony Le Tallec side footing past keeper Paul Robinson on the hour mark.

Alnwick kept the visitors level, saving Keane’s penalty on 72 minutes, after Gary Breen handled the ball in the box,

But Tottenham dashed Sunderland’s hopes of a welcome point when Michael Carrick was given time and space to drive home the winner five minutes later.

winner.

TOTTENHAM: Robinson, Stalteri, Lee, King, Dawson, Tainio, Jenas (Lennon), Carrick, Mido, Keane (Defoe), Davids

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SUNDERLAND: Alnwick, Nosworthy, Hoyte, Caldwell, Breen, Collins, Whitehead, Bassila, Stead (Le Tallec), Brown (Gray), Woods (Lawrence)

Att: 36,244

Sheffield United 2 Sunderland 0

December 3, 2002

Premiership strugglers Sunderland were sent packing from the Worthington Cup as dominant Sheffield United deservedly secured a 2-0 home victory in their fourth round tie.

Carl Asaba and Michael Tonge both forced visiting keeper Jurgen Macho into smart first-half saves, but Sunderland held firm until the break.

The Blades finally got in front nine minutes into the second half when right-back Phil Jagielka sent over a dangerous cross from the righ, Stanislav Varga, in a desperate attempt to clear, hit the ball against the bar and defender Shaun Murphy poked home.

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Two minutes later, it was 2-0 as Peter Ndlovu sent over a perfect cross to the back post for Wayne Allison to nod home unchallenged to delight the home support in a packed Bramall Lane.

SHEFFIELD UTD: Kenny, Jagielka, Harley, Murphy, Page, Brown, Ndlovu (Kozluk), McCall, Asaba (Peschisolido), Allison, Tonge

SUNDERLAND: Macho, Rossiter, McCartney, Williams, Varga, Thome, Bellion, McCann, Kyle (Schwarz), Proctor, Stewart

Att: 27,068

Sunderland 1 Crystal Palace 0

December 3, 1995

Promotion-bound Sunderland climbed into the First Division’s top two for the first time.

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A tight, televised Sunday afternoon clash at Roker Park was settled by a 39th-minute penalty from left-back Martin Scott.

That completed a double against the Eagles, who had been beaten 1-0 at Selhurst Park earlier in the season, a game in which Scott hit a very early penalty against the post.

SUNDERLAND: Chamberlain, Kubicki, Scott, Ball, Melville, Agnew, Michael Gray, Ord, Howey (P Gray), Kelly, Smith (Atkinson)

CRYSTAL PALACE: Martyn, Edworthy, Gordon, Roberts, Davies, Pitcher, Hopkin, Houghton, Freedman (Boere), Taylor, Vincent (McKenzie)

Att: 12,777

Sunderland 0 Reading 1

December 3, 1994

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Sunderland failed to build on a four-point haul from successive away games at Portsmouth and Port Vale , succumbing to a single-goal defeat to Reading at Roker Park.

Mick Buxton’s men slipped to 14th place in the First Division after sub Scott Taylor grabbed the only goal midway through the second half.

The Royals’ win for Mark McGhee avenged an earlier 2-0 home defeat to the Wearsiders.

SUNDERLAND: Chamberlain, Kubicki, Ord, Ball, Melville, Atkinson (Howey), Owers (Armstrong), Martin Gray, Russell, P Gray, Smith

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READING: Hislop, Bernal, Kerr, McPherson, Wdowczyk, Jones, Barnard (Taylor), Gooding, Lovell (Lambert), Quinn, Osborn

Att: 14,021

Sunderland 1 Watford 1

December 3, 1988

Sunderland’s run without a win in Division Two stretched to five matches as Denis Smith’s men struggled against hard-working Watford.

The Hornets silenced Roker Park with an opening goal two minutes before the break, with midfielder Tim Sherwood beating keeper Iain Hesford.

Sunderland roused themselves in the second half and drew level, thanks to a penalty, on the hour mark, from centre-back John MacPhail.

Wearsider Gary Porter impressed in the visitors’ midfield.

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But a much-needed win eluded the Rokermen and they dropped two places to 14th in the table.

SUNDERLAND: Hesford, F Gray, Agboola, Bennett, MacPhail, Doyle, Owers, Armstrong, Gabbiadini, Whitehurst, Pascoe

WATFORD: Coton, Gibbs, Jackett, Sherwood, Holdsworth, McClelland, Redfearn, Bamber, Wilkinson, Porter, Hodges

Att: 16,330

Sunderland 1 Ipswich Town 1

December 3, 1983

Sunderland came from behind to secure a Division One point against visitors Ipswich Town.

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Future Roker striker Eric Gates gave the Portman Road men the lead after just 14 minutes, but Alan Durban’s side hit back to level, just before the break, thanks to a fine strike from Gary Rowell.

The point kept Sunderland in 14th place in the table.

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

IPSWICH TOWN: Cooper, Burley, Barnes, Parkin, Steggles, Butcher, Wark, McCall, Mariner, Gates, D’Avray (Turner)

Att: 15,555

Charlton Athletic 3 Sunderland 2

December 3, 1977

Two goals in the final 20 minutes sent Sunderland spiralling to defeat in an entertaining Second Division battle at The Valley.

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A third successive game without a win saw Jimmy Adams’s Rokermen drop to 10th place in the table.

Charlton got a flier as full-back Les Berry fired them in front after just five minutes, but Sunderland turned the game around impressively and were 2-1 up at the break, thanks to strikes from Roy Greenwood (34 minutes) and debutant Wayne Entwistle, six minutes later.

Sunderland maintained their lead as Charlton pressed for an equaliser, but they came unstuck on 70 minutes when luckless right-back Mick Henderson put through his own goal.

Their tails up, Charlton bagged the winner six minutes later, with Mike Flanagan on target.

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CHARLTON: Wood, Berry, Warman, Tydeman, Giles, Dugdale, Powell, Gritt, Flanagan, Peacock, McAuley

SUNDERLAND: Siddall, Henderson, Bolton, Kerr, Elliott (Clarke), Ashurst, Rostron, Arnott, Greenwood, Entwistle, Rowell

Att: 12,761

Sunderland 0 Tottenham 1

December 3, 1966

Sunderland slipped three places in the First Division table, to 17th, after a home defeat to Spurs.

Ian McColl’s men had won their three previous home games, scoring 10 goals in the process, but they could not find a way to beat impressive visiting keeper Pat Jennings.

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Spurs, who completed a league double with another single-goal victory at home late in the season, grabbed the only goal 10 minutes into the second half, with Scotland forward Alan Gilzean on target.

SUNDERLAND: Montgomery, Irwin, Ashurst, Elliott, Hurley, Kinnell, Herd, O’Hare, Martin, Baxter, Mulhall

TOTTENHAM: Jennings, Beal, Knowles, Mullery, England, Mackay, Robertson, Greaves, Gilzean, Venables, Jones

Att: 32,733

Sunderland 2 Ipswich Town 0

December 3, 1960

Willie McPheat was the two-goal hero as Sunderland secured a third successive home win to climb to ninth place in Division Two.

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Alf Ramsey’s Ipswich side were to go up as champions at the end of the season, but they struggled to cope with Sunderland on this day.

Jack Overfield impressed down the left flank for the hosts, but Ipswich managed to reach the interval without conceding.

Scot McPheat, though, took command of the game in the second half, making the breakthrough in the 54th minute and settling the issue with a second goal six minutes later.

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

IPSWICH: Bailey, Carberry, Malcolm, Pickett, Nelson, Elsworthy, Stephenson, Millward, Crawford, Phillips, Leadbetter

Att: 21,251