Sunderland 2 Watford 2: Highlights as Patrick Roberts goal give Cats late point at the Stadium of Light
and live on Freeview channel 276
Despite a bright start, the Black Cats fell a goal down in the 17th minute when defender Christian Kabesle headed home a corner.
Sunderland were then undone by another set-piece, as Ryan Porteous headed in another corner midway through the second half.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe hosts did manage to pull a goal back immediately when Luke O’Nien converted from close range in the 70th minute, before Patrick Roberts scored an excellent equaliser in stoppage-time.
It means Sunderland will have to win at Preston on the final day of the season and hope other results go their way to finish in the play-offs.
Here’s how the game played out:
RECAP: Sunderland 2 (O’Nien, 70) (Robert, 90+5) Watford 2 (Kabesele, 17) (Porteous, 69)
Key Events
- Sunderland XI: Patterson, Gooch, Hume, O’Nien, Cirkin, Neil (Michut, 75), Ekwah (Pritchard, 58), Roberts, Amad, Clarke, Gelhardt (Ba, 75)
- Subs: Bass, Anderson, Pritchard, Michut, Lihadji, Ba, Taylor
- Watford XI: Bachmann, Andrews (Hoedt, 70), Kabasele, Porteous, Kamara, Choudhury, Louza, Asprilla (Bacuna, 58), Sema, Sarr (N’Gakia, 81), Davis
- Subs: Hamer, Ngakia, Kone, Araujo, Bacuna, Morris, Hoedt
What to make of those sides
So it’s one change for Sunderland from the side which started at West Brom last weekend.
Patrick Roberts returns to the starting XI in place of Abdoullah Ba who drops to the bench.
Watford have made three changes following their 1-0 defeat at Hull last time out, with no Joao Pedro in the squad. The club have agreed to sell the forward to Brighton, meaning he hasn’t travelled to Wearside.
Yasser Asprilla, Hamza Choudhury and Kienan Davis are the players who come in for the visitors, with Ismael Kone and Leando Bacuna dropping to the bench.
2’ How Sunderland have started
It was some atmosphere as the players came out in front of a pack-out Stadium of Light crowd.
The hosts have started with a back four with O’Nien and Hume at centre-back.
Roberts has started on the right with Amad in the No 10 position.
4’ Ekwah shot saved
Ekwah has just registered the first shot on target but his low effort was comfortably held by Bachmann.
7’ Promising passage of play
Sunderland are starting to see more of the ball now, with Watford dropping back into a 4-4-1-1 shape out of possession.
Gelhardt did well there to drop deep and switch the ball to Clarke on the left but the visitors managed to defend the situation.
11’ Choudhury booked
More good play from Gelhardt who dropped deep again and won a free-kick midway inside the Watford half.
Choudhury was booked for the challenge.
12’ Wide from Amad
Amad’s free-kick goes wide.
Now there is a round of applause for Sunderland fan Danny Meah who passed away earlier this month.
