'I'm happy...' - Sunderland captain Dan Neil explains cheeky celebration to Middlesbrough fans

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Sunderland team captain Dan Neil celebrated in front of Middlesbrough fans at the Riverside on Monday night

Sunderland captain Dan Neil has explained his celebrating in front of the Middlesbrough fans at the Riverside Stadium during a passionate atmosphere for the Championship clash

A late own goal from Ryan Giles secured the three points for the Black Cats, after Dan Neil and Wilson Isidor cancelled out an early goal from Delano Burgzorg. Hayden Hackney had restored parity but it was a moment of magic from Enzo Le Fee to carve open the game late on.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sunderland’s team captain Neil celebrated his goal in front of the home fans at the Riverside Stadium and cupped his ears to the Teessiders after drawing his side level with a deflected shot off Middlesbrough defender George Edmundson.

“I think last year at home, I got a lot of stick. I'm happy to do the double on them this year, because like I said, it's a really tough place to come and we've struggled here the last two years,” Neil said when asked about his celebration by The Echo. “We nicked a point last year. We probably didn't deserve to nick a point last year, but today I thought we fully deserved the three points, and it could have been by more, to be honest.”

Sunderland have now done the league double over Middlesbrough home and away for the first time since 1962. Le Bris’ Black Cats are now just three points away from the automatic spots in the Championship with 16 games left to play.

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I think that again tells you how tough it is to come here,” Neil said when asked about the record. “The crowd's always right behind us. We came out with a fire show and flags today, and it was absolutely bouncing in the stands. We said that we had to get through the first 20, and we didn't manage to do that completely.

“Like I said, the character of the squad is unquestioned now. We've done it so many times this year, where we go a goal behind and we bounce straight back. So, yeah, I thought it was a really good reaction by the lads, and it shows their character and togetherness.”

Asked about Sunderland’s celebrations in front of the away end following the game, Neil added: “I think they (the fans) probably know that it's a tough place to come to, and it's not an easy place to get three points, and I think if you look at the fixtures we've got left, I think you'd have probably said this is maybe, one of the tough ones that we have to try and get through, especially after the other team's results at the weekend.

“Three points was going to be quite big tonight and the lads took the opportunity by the scruff of the neck and went and won the game,” Neil concluded after the game against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Monday night.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1873
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice