Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson opens up on Wembley heroics and the 'crucial moment' he can't remember
Anthony Patterson put in an important shift for Sunderland at Wembley as they secured promotion to the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson has admitted that he doesn’t remember making his sublime early save to deny Sheffield United striker Kieffer Moore in the Championship play-off final.
The Black Cats’ number one set the tone for a Man of the Match performance at Wembley with a stunning stop to keep out a towering header from the Blades centre forward, diving low to his left and clawing the ball away from his goal line.
Patterson conceded later in the first half after Tyrese Campbell dinked a well-taken finish over him following a swift Sheffield United counter attack, but would once again make himself the hero after the interval when he spared Dennis Cirkin’s blushes by producing a point blank block with his feet after the full-back had failed to deal with a ball over the top.
What did Anthony Patterson say about his Wembley heroics?
But speaking after the final whistle at Wembley, the Sunderland stopper admitted that his recollections of his heroics were somewhat hazy. He said: “Well, a few of the lads said, ‘What a save in the first minute’ or whatever, and I was like, ‘What save in the first minute?’. I don't really remember the save to be honest, but yeah, I'll look back at the highlights and see the save. I don't really remember it, but I'm happy to help when I can.”
When asked about his second impressive stop, he continued: “I don't really know what I was doing to be honest. I've dived the wrong way and I don't often make saves with my feet, but thankfully it didn't go in the net, so it's a safe save. I like to try and keep calm with it and let the boys do what they do and I don't really think too much into it, but it ended up being a big save in a crucial moment and it spurred the lads on to go and grab a couple of goals.”
Patterson also offered his opinion on Tommy Watson’s stoppage time winner, adding: “It seemed to go in the goal so slow. I couldn't believe it, and then it hit the net and obviously I was facing all the Sunderland fans and it just erupted. I was just like, ‘Oh my god’. It was just incredible. I can't even describe how I felt when it went in.”
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What else has been said about Anthony Patterson’s Wembley performance?
Speaking during an interview with talkSPORT, Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips heaped praise on Patterson. He said: “He [Patterson] has been excellent for Sunderland throughout the whole season. And, you know, when you want your goalkeeper to really step up in a hugely important game like yesterday, he did.
“The save in the first half, I thought it was in, you know, from where I start - I thought that's a goal. And when he scoops it out, I thought that was a world class save. If anyone in the Premier League or someone playing for Arsenal whoever it was [had made it], we would be saying that’s the best save we’ve ever seen. It was world class.”