How Sunderland's vital win against Ipswich Town played out as Black Cats close in on top two

Just as had been the case at Gillingham on Saturday, a red card and a spotkick had turned the game in Sunderland’s favour during the second half.

They had started the game superbly and took the lead through Charlie Wyke, but Jack Lankester’s equaliser pegged them back in a tense contest.

Ipswich were left irate at the referee’s intervention, but Leadbitter’s nerveless strike from the spot has taken the Black Cats to within one point of the top two.

We are growing accustomed to the unusual in 2020 and it was the same again here, kick off delayed by 30 minutes due to issues with ‘external brodcasting infrastructure’. The EFL’s iFollow service wasn’t working, in short.

When it did finally begin, Sunderland looked sharp and Ipswich sluggish.

The opener came from the first shot on target, but it was due reward for a start in which the Black Cats pressed aggressively and forced their opponents to go long.

That created openings and it was a wonderful pass from Lynden Gooch to release Wyke.

The striker did superbly, holding off Stephen Ward in the box and firing his effort emphatically past Holy. In those opening minutes, the hope was that the Black Cats could turn their superiority into a strong lead.

Ipswich were just about having the most of the ball but rarely in areas that would trouble the home side.

They went close to a second when Denver Hume burst past Luke Chambers on the left, standing up a strong cross that Josh Scowen headed just over the bar.

In truth, though, Sunderland did not turn the control they were enjoying into a real attacking threat.

Another header from Wyke, this time heading over the bar from a McLaughlin cross, was all they had to show for their efforts in the first half an hour.

Still, when the equaliser came, it was against the run of play.

Ipswich had been tepid, but produced a fine move when Gwion Edwards burst into the space between the wing-back and the centre-back on the left.

He cut a ball back for Lankester, who took just one touch before firing a fine finish past Burge and into the far corner.

It almsot got worse for the hosts just before the break, with Hume robbed of the ball as he attempted to let it run out for a goal kick. Kayden Jackson put a lwo cross into a dangerous area, but Grant Leadbitter had done well to spot the danger to ensure his side went into the break level.

Parkinson was forced into a substitution at the break, bringing on Max Power for Scowen.

The midfielder had taken a nasty blow to the face midway through the opening period as he bravely blocked a free-kick from Andre Dozzell.

Both sides had come out looking to lift the tempo, though the upshot was that neither were able to build sustained pressure amid a number of errors in possession.

Sunderland should nevertheless have taken the lead when Maguire whipped an excellent corner to the front post. Tom Flanagan was unmaked and had a big opportunity, but could only flick his effort over the bar.

The game was beginning to open up, and Ipswich missed an even bigger opportunity minutes later. Luke O’Nien played a slack pass across the backlne, which Flanagan was unable to control. Judge broked free and whipped a good cross to the back post, where Lankester took a touch before somehow blasting over the crossbar.

Parkinson brought on Danny Graham in search of a winner, and his side were given a major boost when Dozzell was shown red for a lunge on Leadbitter in the centre circle.

There had been few appeals from the Sunderland players, and widespread shock when a referee who had been hugely reluctant to reach for his pocked up until that point reached his verdict.

The consternation in the away ranks reached an altogether different level, though, when a penalty was awarded with just five minutes left on the clock, McGuinness penalised for handball after a clearance from his own team-mate struck him.

There was a long delay as Ipswich’s protests continued, but Leadbitter held his nerve to send Holy the wrong way and secure three crucial points for his side.

Sunderland XI: Burge; McLaughlin, Wright, Flanagan; O’Nien, Leadbitter, Gooch (Sanderson, 90), Scowen (Power, 45), Hume; Maguire (Graham, 68), Wyke

Subs: Matthews, Diamond, Sanderson, Grigg, O’Brien

Ipswich Town XI: Holy, Chambers, Nsiala, McGuinness, Ward; Dozzell, Judge, Bishop; Edwards, Lankester (Bennetts, 89), Jackson (Hawkins, 75)

Subs: Cornell, Wilson, Kenlock, Huws, Sears

Bookings: Leadbitter, 77

Red Card: Dozzell, 73

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