3 years ago
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Sunderland have drawn four of their last five matches at the Stadium of LightSunderland kept their play-off hopes alive as they fought back from 2-0 down to earn a stoppage-time draw with Watford at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats began brightly but were rocked when Christian Kabasele rose highest to power home a header from Imran Louza's corner.
Ryan Porteous was gifted a free header from another Louza corner to double the lead, but just moments later Luke O'Nien tapped in to give the hosts hope.
Then Patrick Roberts whipped in a superb equaliser into the top corner in the sixth-minute of stoppage time to keep Sunderland seventh and within two points of sixth-placed Millwall with one match left.
Sunderland looked set to go into the final day three points behind Millwall, and with Coventry out of reach in fifth, when they fell 2-0 down midway through the second half.
Yet their latest rescue act - they have now picked up 22 points from losing positions this season - means they enter the final day of the season still capable of overhauling both sides with victory at Preston, whose own top-six hopes evaporated at Sheffield United.
They will need a favour from their north-east neighbours Middlesbrough, who host Coventry a week on Sunday while Millwall entertain play-off rivals Blackburn.
Roberts' superb equaliser extended the Black Cats unbeaten run to eight, but if they miss out at the end of the season they can point to a run of just one home win in their last eight at the Stadium of Light.
Watford provided the bigger threat for much of the match, with Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson doing well to keep out Ryan Andrews' powerful first-half effort and Ismaila Sarr's heavily deflected shot after the break.
Yet they remain winless on the road since victory at Norwich on 2 January and sit 13th, their own play-off bid already scuppered by a run of three wins in their last 17 matches.
Line-ups
Sunderland
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Patterson
- 11Gooch
- 32Hume
- 13O'NienBooked at 78mins
- 3Cirkin
- 24NeilSubstituted forMichutat 75'minutes
- 39EkwahSubstituted forPritchardat 58'minutes
- 10Roberts
- 16DialloBooked at 84mins
- 20ClarkeBooked at 65mins
- 28GelhardtSubstituted forBaat 75'minutes
Substitutes
- 12Bass
- 17Ba
- 18Taylor
- 21Pritchard
- 22Lihadji
- 25Michut
- 45Anderson
Watford
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Bachmann
- 57AndrewsSubstituted forHoedtat 88'minutes
- 22PorteousBooked at 19mins
- 27Kabasele
- 14Kamara
- 4ChoudhuryBooked at 10mins
- 6Louza
- 23SarrSubstituted forNgakiaat 82'minutes
- 18AsprillaSubstituted forBacunaat 58'minutes
- 12Sema
- 7DavisBooked at 65mins
Substitutes
- 2Ngakia
- 11Koné
- 21Araújo
- 25Bacuna
- 26Hamer
- 42Morris
- 44Hoedt
Live Text
Match ends, Sunderland 2, Watford 2.
Second Half ends, Sunderland 2, Watford 2.
Attempt blocked. Lynden Gooch (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Amad Diallo.
Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Hassane Kamara.
Attempt missed. Dennis Cirkin (Sunderland) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Abdoullah Ba with a cross.
Goal! Sunderland 2, Watford 2. Patrick Roberts (Sunderland) left footed shot from the right side of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Jack Clarke.
Attempt blocked. Luke O'Nien (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jack Clarke.
Dennis Cirkin (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Hamza Choudhury (Watford).
Foul by Édouard Michut (Sunderland).
Keinan Davis (Watford) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt saved. Alex Pritchard (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Abdoullah Ba.
Attempt blocked. Patrick Roberts (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jack Clarke.
Luke O'Nien (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Keinan Davis (Watford).
Attempt missed. Jack Clarke (Sunderland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Offside, Watford. Daniel Bachmann tries a through ball, but Ken Sema is caught offside.
Substitution, Watford. Wesley Hoedt replaces Ryan Andrews.
Patrick Roberts (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Hassane Kamara (Watford).
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