Watch as ex Sunderland star drops embarrassing League One clanger that has humoured footballing world

Former Sunderland academy goalkeeping graduate Max Stryjek has gone on to enjoy a successful career in English football leagues but perhaps didn't pay the best attention in lessons on seeing a game out while with the Black Cats.

The 27-year-old was at the centre of an embarrassing error while playing for Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night as his overconfident gaffe resulted in opponents Barnsley netting a 91st-minute goal to take home all three points in a 1-0 win.

Stryjek graduated from the Sunderland Academy in 2015 and spent four years on the books at the Stadium of Light but never made a first team appearance as he was shipped out on loans to Boston United, Accrington Stanley and Eastleigh, eventually transferring to the latter in 2019. Since August 2022, the shot-stopper has been plying his trade at League One side Wycombe.

The Poland international has been a mainstay between the sticks this season but will now be under pressure after a major mistake on Tuesday evening. With seconds left to play, the Wycombe keeper employed time-wasting tactis when refusing to pick up the ball, forcing opposition striker Sam Cosgrove to run over and put pressure on.

Having then collected the ball, the two players came together with Stryjek somewhat theatrically hitting the ground and losing control of the ball, only for Cosgrove to tap in and celebrate.

Speaking after the match, Cosgrove joked to BBC Radio Sheffield: "It's the best goal I've scored. I've been desperate for that first goal. I've been contributing in other ways on the pitch but to get that first goal is nice.

"Yeah there's a bit of contact but nowhere near enough for him to fall on the floor. There was no chance I wasn't going to put the ball in the back of the net and it is up to the ref then to make that decision.

"Keepers notoriously get a lot more decisions going for them, they can be a bit more vulnerable going up to get balls. But in that scenario like that there is absolutely no need to go down in that fashion, so kudos to the ref."

Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield was unsurprisingly less able to see the funny side in the incident and was left 'angry and so frustrated' by how the game ended. He said: "99 times out of a 100, however many times I've seen that type of incident in football where striker run into goalkeepers, it's usually given as a foul.

"We had a couple of really good opportunities in the last 10 minutes and I felt we looked like we might be the ones who might take all three points - you're filled with optimism stood watching your boys on the sideline and then suddenly the sucker punch, which hurts."