A bright start, a glaring miss and a game-changing red: How Sunderland's tense draw at Charlton Athletic played out

Sunderland were forced to settle for a point at The Valley after a late red card changed the course of a game they had dominated.
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Tom Flanagan was dismissed for hauling down Connor Washington in the final twenty minutes of the game, offering Charlton Athletic a route back into a contest which they struggled to make an impression on.

Sunderland battled hard to take something from the game in the final minutes, and were left to rue some glaring chances missed in a strong first-half display.

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Charlton had bolstered their squad with the arrival of Marcus Maddison in the build-up to the game, but without any match action since February, the talented forward took a place on the bench.

Tom Flanagan is shown a red card at the ValleyTom Flanagan is shown a red card at the Valley
Tom Flanagan is shown a red card at the Valley

Manager Lee Bowyer had conceded in the game that the aim for his side was to compete as best they could while they strengthen, having only just emerged from a transfer embargo that came with a prolonged takeover saga.

Sunderland were as expected without Chris Maguire, while Phil Parkinson also chose to recall Danny Graham to his starting XI.

Unsurprisingly, it was a cagey opening between two sides who will expect to be near each other at the upper end of the table at the business end of the campaign. Sunderland, though, looked the most assured in possession. Charlton had also decided to go to a back five, but packed their midfield and started off in a narrow shape, allowing the Black Cats plenty of territory and time in possession.

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Parkinson’s side were able to put a couple of dangerous crosses into the box during a relatively sedate opening twenty minutes, but neither were able to find their target.

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Charlton did have some spells of neat possession, but it rarely came with any great incision and Lee Burge was a bystander for most of the first half. The home side looked dependent on Erhun Oztumer to create openings for them on the break, but the diminutive playmaker was wasteful in possession and as a result, a dependable Sunderland defence were easily able to marshal a very isolated Connor Washington up front.

The visitors first real sight of goal came from some sloppy defending on the left flank, allowing a low cross to reach Graham at the near post. The striker did well to get his shot away at close range but Ben Amos was equal to it, standing tall to make a smart stop with his body.

Amos had an excellent first half and made an even finer stop ten minutes later. Josh Scowen floated a tremendous corner into the box, where an unmarked Bailey Wright rose highest. His thumping header looked destined for the top corner, but Amos clawed it away with a fine stop flying high to his right.

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By now the Black Cats were becoming dominant, and were left to rue a pair of clear cut chances to take the lead before the break.

The first came as Aiden O’Brien got free in the left-hand channel, but his first error was to delay the shot. The Irishman was unselfishly trying to find Graham in the area, but his pass was blocked. The loose ball fell for him kindly, and though this time he did shoot, Amos was able to close him down and block. Another loose ball this time fell for Graham, who saw two efforts blocked by the scrambling home defence.

The experienced forward missed an ever bigger opening minutes later when Scowen fired a terrific low cross to the far post. Graham slid to meet the ball but from a matter of yards, blazed over on his weaker foot.

Charlton had been lucky to make the break unscathed, and Bowyer unsurprisingly had seen enough.

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Oztumer had been wasteful in possession and was replaced by the former Black Cats loanee Jonny Williams.

The second half began at a lively pace, Alfie Doughty, Scowen and Lynden Gooch all flashing efforts from long range just over the bar.

Bowyer’s side looked more resolute as the second half developed, even if they were unable to really test Sunderland in the final third. After those missed openings in the first half, the Black Cats were not creating chances as easily as they had previously done.

Though some smart turns in the middle of the pitch drew yellow cards for midfield duo Ben Watson and Dylan Levitt, Parkinson sensed the need for fresh legs and replaced his frontline pairing, with Will Grigg and Charlie Wyke thrown on for the final 25 minutes.

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Charlton had known their best bet was the firepower they had on the bench, and so it proved. Chuks Aneke, who recently recovered from COVID-19, came on and immediately brought a focal point that his side had so lacked up until that moment.

He won a long ball fired forward and when Washington turned smartly as he gathered the flick-on, Sunderland were suddenly entirely exposed. Flanagan, the last defender, had no choice but to foul and was duly shown a straight red.

Aneke flashed a long-range effort just wide moments later, further underlining his threat.

The Black Cats did manage to forge an opening of their own soon after, but Wyke was unable to convert a good cutback from Hume.

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Charlton unsurprisingly took control of possession thereafter, but in truth they did little to test Burge, even if substitute Maddison delivered one or two dangerous set pieces.

Sunderland XI: Burge; Willis, Wright, Flanagan; O’Nien, Leadbitter, Scowen, Hume; Gooch, O’Brien (Grigg, 65), Graham (Wyke, 65)

Subs: Matthews, McLaughlin, Xhemajli, Diamond, Power

Charlton Athletic XI: Amos; Vennings (Aneke, 72), Oshilaja, Famewo, Purrington; Watson, Pratley, Levitt (Maddison, 84); Oztumer (Williams, 45), Doughty; Washington

Subs: Maynard-Brewer, Morgan, Lapslie, Barker

Bookings: Watson, 55 Levitt, 58 Willis, 85 O’Nien, 90

Red Card: Flanagan, 73

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