AS SUNDERLAND’S players celebrated on the pitch and Wilson Isidor wrapped his shirt around a Riverside corner flag, Michael Carrick disappeared down the tunnel with plenty to ponder.
This huge away victory left the Black Cats at the heart of the automatic promotion race, which is where Boro intended to be this season. Instead, Carrick’s side find themselves outside the top six after their vulnerabilities were again exposed.
A breathless and dramatic Tees-Wear derby provided evidence of why Regis Le Bris was so desperate to reunite with Enzo Le Fee at Sunderland in January. And why the Black Cats were so keen to ensure they grasped their opportunity to make Isidor’s loan deal permanent in the winter window.
Both starred at the Riverside on Monday night as Sunderland once again found a way to win. Middlesbrough, on the flip side, once again found a way to throw away crucial points.
On the subject of reunions, Ryan Giles’ Riverside return turned into a disaster. For it was the left-back who turned into his own net in the dying minutes of a dramatic game to hand Sunderland a third goal and all three points. But the winner was all about Le Fee rather than Boro’s unfortunate full-back. The Frenchman left Luke Ayling standing with a quite sublime touch before lashing in the cross that ricocheted off Giles and beat Travers.
And it ensured Sunderland had the last laugh at the end of a brilliant encounter. Hayden Hackney showed why Middlesbrough dismissed Porto’s deadline day £10m bid with a defence splitting pass to tee up Delano Burgzorg for the opener before hitting a stunner to draw the home side level at 2-2. In between, fragile Boro were again exposed.
Dan Neil’s strike to make it 1-1 was heavily deflected and fortunate but Boro still only had themselves to blame, with Burgzorg far too easily dispossessed on the edge of his own box. Isidor’s finish for Sunderland’s second goal was class but Boro again shot themselves in the foot in the build-up and made it too easy for their grateful opponents.
Boro’s attack is packed with class but Carrick needs to find a way to toughen his side up and to cut out the mistakes. As for Sunderland, they just keep finding a way. They’re now just three points off the top two and unbeaten in six.
After the twists and turns of the final hours of the transfer window came the football. New signings resulted in a new-look to the Boro side, with Mark Travers starting in goal, Giles coming in for his first start of his second spell and Morgan Whittaker making his full debut. Former Juventus forward Samuel Iling-Junior was named on the bench after completing his loan move from Aston Villa, while striker Kelechi Iheanacho watched from the stands after being introduced to the fans following the completion of his temporary switch from Sevilla. The former Manchester City and Leicester City striker was Boro’s sixth and final signing of a busy January window. Boro had been in contact with Liverpool to enquire about Tyler Morton but were priced out of any move for the midfielder by the Premier League’s leaders.
Sunderland were successful in their deadline day negotiations with Liverpool, agreeing a loan deal for Jayden Danns, but that wasn’t wrapped up in time for the striker to spectate at the Riverside.
The Black Cats kept hold of Tommy Watson and Boro rebuffed late interest for their homegrown star. And it took just 11 minutes at the Riverside for Hackney to show why he’s being talked about by the continent’s elite.
He was fortunate not to be penalised for his tackle on Patrick Roberts midway inside the Boro half but after grabbing the ball his pass to split the defence and set Burgzorg away was sublime. The Dutchman never looked like missing.
And Sunderland could have no complaints. Boro had been much the brighter of the two sides early on, causing problems with their aggressive press and down the flanks.
It was Hackney who was Boro’s driving force. The England Under-21 international almost had a second assist when he powered through the midfield before teeing up Forss, who skewed his shot over.
Sunderland woke up after their sluggish start and created half chances for Roberts and Enzo Le Fee, while Chris Mepham’s header from a corner was well kept out by Travers. But the Black Cats had struggled to get Isidor into the game and Boro, on the whole, had looked comfortable defensively. How often has that been the case this season, though, only for Carrick’s side to give their opponents a helping hand. And so it proved again, even if Sunderland did enjoy a slice of luck for their leveller. Neil’s strike took a big deflection off Edmundson, giving Travers no chance, but the shooting opportunity only came about after Burgzorg was far too easily dispossessed on the edge of his own box.
And it was the same story for Sunderland’s second goal five minutes after the restart. Ayling’s touch was heavy, Morris too easily lost his battle with Cirkin, allowing Le Fee to work his magic and set Isidor away with a brilliant pass. The finish was class, a drop of the shoulder, Travers wrong-footed and floored, the ball tapped into the empty net.
That was the Black Cats’ chance to kick-on and secure the points, but Morris and Boro made amends. The midfielder snatched the ball off Bellingham’s foot and Hackney rifled into the bottom corner to draw the home side level.
Carrick turned to his bench and introduced Iling-Junior, who almost made an immediate impact, teeing up Forss whose shot was deflected wide. At the midway point of the second half, you’d have been brave to pick a winner.
But Le Fee found the spark and Sunderland had the last laugh.
