Full-time! Sunderland 3-0 Newcastle
Six successive derby wins, but a first of the season! Sunderland were awful until Coloccini got sent off and conceded the penalty. There is a hell of a lot of work for Sam Allardyce to do and Steve McClaren will be wondering how to stop his team from shipping so many goals. Neither are out of the woods, but Aston Villa are now propping up the table. Thanks for reading! Bye!
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90 min +2: The oles are out as Sunderland play the ball back and forth across the defence. Allardyce has a big grin on his face and is being serenaded by the home support, looking for a wave. He milks it and finally raises his hand.
90 min: There will be four minutes added on.
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89 min: Sunderland are now playing the clock down, as you’d expect.
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Goal! Sunderland 3-0 Newcastle (Fletcher)
87 min: That’s their best move of the game. And it’s game set and match. Kaboul nicks the ball at the back and continues his run after Sunderland break. M’Vila charges down the middle but Kaboul receives possession after continuing his run. And the centre-half sends a magnificent cross from the left towards Fletcher at the back stick – his finish gives Elliot no chance.
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84 min: Newcastle are not going to throw in the towel here but for all those attempts, few have really made Pantilimon work hard. His saves have been decent but none were spectacular.
82 min: The final Sunderland substitution sees Larsson on for Lens, who did alright.
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82 min: Thauvin hammers wide – Newcastle’s 20th attempt of the afternoon.
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80 min: Good defending from Coates, cutting out a Sissoko cross towards Mitrovic. It’s yet another Newcastle corner – it’s headed away by Johnson.
78 min: Newcastle’s third and final change sees Thauvin on for Dummett.
76 min: Sunderland, despite the man advantage and two-goal cushion, are now sitting back and nerves are creeping in. Newcastle will throw everything at them for the remaining quarter of an hour.
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Meanwhile …
Time that Steve McClaren went to the barbers and got that hair sorted out. The only answer? All off!
— Richard Keys (@richardajkeys) October 25, 2015
74 min: Newcastle have another corner. It breaks to Anita but he can’t find the target from the D.
72 min: The bar comes to Newcastle’s rescue. Johnson drops his shoulder on the right flank and sends a piledriver with his left towards the top left corner. Elliot is beaten but the woodwork denies the winger a second goal.
70 min: Wijnaldum finds an easy route to goal after a one-two with Sissoko but his shot is saved well by Pantilimon. After another slice of shambolic defending from the corner, Sunderland fans breathe another sigh of relief after Perez blasts high and wide.
68 min: Once more the Stadium of Light is vibrating with excitement! Their team were absolutely awful in the first half but due to a piece of fortune, Coloccini’s brain fart and the referee they now hold a commanding position.
Goal! Sunderland 2-0 Newcastle (Jones)
65 min: The corner is sent to M’Vila at the back of a pile. He volleys deliciously towards the bottom right corner. Wijnaldum is on the line but before he can even attempt to clear, Jones nips in to turn home from two yards. Newcastle surely cannot find a way back from this?
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64 min: Fletcher turns from 25 yards out after Lens passed. The Scotland striker has a pop with his left. It’s heading on target but deflected over the bar for a corner – the hosts’ first.
62 min: Janmaat is penalised for a handball after he dribbles at M’Vila and the ball deflects off the Sunderland player onto his arm.
60 min: Lens’ deep cross is too long for Fletcher and Defoe, allowing Elliot to collect comfortably.
Another happy Sunderland fan, Dave Lupton emails: “I was brought up not far from Roker Park and whilst a lifelongSunderland fan this team is risible, Cattermole is a joke and should be made to cook fish and chips at Seaburn, altho’ he’d probably miss the fat in the fryer, such is his inability to perform a simple task.”
You know you’re winning though?!
57 min: Sunderland need to settle down again. Johnson tries to pick out Defoe from the right but he is dispossessed by Wijnaldum and when Newcastle try to break, Cattermole fouls Perez and the Sunderland midfielder is still not booked.
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55 min: What an important save from Pantilimon. A deflection off Cattermole after Perez’s punt falls kindly to Mitrovic. The Newcastle striker should really score but he can only find the big goalkeeper’s stretched frame.
54 min: And in complete contrast to the first half, Sunderland are playing some keep ball. Eventually they work it forward and Defoe has a long range attempt blocked.
51 min: Fletcher is held off by a fair shoulder from Mbemba. Leaning into the striker rather than knocking him to the ground with force.
In honour of today’s work, as Stuart Saunders points out … spot the error.
50 min: That’s it for Colback – he is replaced by Anita.
48 min: Colback is off the pitch now and receiving more treatment … Newcastle presently down to nine men.
46 min: Within a few seconds Cattermole whacks Colback, who is on the ground writhing in agony. The Sunderland player is lucky to get away without a yellow card there and Colback’s day looks to be coming to an end.
Restarted!
46 min: Newcastle get us going again. Tiote has been replaced by Lascelles. And Colback was booked at half-time for protesting over the goal.
Shaun Wilkinson, pulling no punches, via email: “The way something always happens to this shambolic disgrace of a team to get them out of trouble is bordering on the paranormal. This Sunderland team is so bad that I think anyone other than Newcastle could give them a goal and a man start after 45 minutes and still beat them. If anyone team disproved the hoary old cliche that luck evens itself out in football, it is this abject shower.”
Gordon Inglis with a great shout: “Did you know that in his spare time, Fabricio Coloccini is also the lead singer of the Pigeon Detectives?” Will he be saying I’m not sorry, I’m not sorry?
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Half-time! Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle
Having been second best for the entire half, Sunderland lead and also have a man-advantage after the added time drama! McClaren remains furious and wags a finger at Madley as the players head down the tunnel.
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Goal! Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle (Johnson, pen)
45 min +3: And Johnson tucks it brilliantly in to the bottom right corner. Elliot went the right way but could not reach it. Johnson races the entire length of the pitch to celebrate. The Stadium of Light is rocking.
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Red card! Coloccini
45 min + 1: Sunderland break after Cattermole takes the ball off Wijnaldum. Defoe threads a pass to Fletcher. It appears too long but Coloccini comes across and barges the Sunderland striker over with his left shoulder. It’s needless and stupid and he is shown a red card. What a change in fortunes. McClaren is furious and screaming at Mike Dean, the fourth official.
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45 min: Three minutes added on.
45 min: Yedlin hooks this one away at the near post but for a throw-in. It’s worked nicely to Perez but his attempted cross from the left is eventually cleared.
43 min: M’Vila concedes another one at the near post.
42 min: Coates recklessly slides in on Wijnaldum two yards outside the area. This is in prime position for Wijnaldum. There is an eight man wall … and there is a delay because of some pushing and shoving with two Newcastle shirts there. When it is finally taken, Wijnaldum beats the wall but Pantilimon turns it over his bar. Corner to be taken by Perez.
41 min: Cattermole, now with the armband after O’Shea’s departure, plants a knee in Perez’s back. It’s a foul, nothing more.
39 min: In the words of Andy Townsend, BETTER from Sunderland. Jones’ deep cross is too high for Defoe but Johnson tries to pull it back again. Dummett nips in and puts the ball out for a throw. From it Yedlin sends in an awful cross that goes out of play.
38 min: Sunderland, it should go without saying, are now 4-4-2 with Defoe joining Fletcher on top. But will that allow Newcastle even more dominance in the middle?
36 min: Oh no and just after Defoe comes on, O’Shea fends off Mitrovic, passes back to Pantilimon but then pulls his hamstring! Coates is on for him. They really have no luck at the moment!
36 min: It’s Defoe and the home support are on their feet. This is the best thing that has happened for those in candystripes.
35 min: That’s the end of the game for the Sweden international. Sunderland are temporarily down to 10 men – will it be Larsson, Gomez or Defoe who comes on? All three are warming up.
34 min: Toivonen is down and holding his groin. On his performance so far, he will not be missed if unable to continue.
33 min: Sissoko sends a low cross in from the right and Perez is first to it but he cannot direct his attempt on target and it zips across goal. Another sigh of relief for the hosts, whose supporters are growing increasingly agitated.
30 min: Toivonen appears incapable of passing the ball to a team-mate.
29 min: Two minutes since Newcastle have had an attempt!
27 min: Colback has another pop and once more Pantilimon saves. Colback takes it and Mitrovic’s right-footed attempt, having impressively held off Kaboul, trickles wide. That was Newcastle’s ninth attempt already!
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26 min: Jones makes his first jaunt forward and his cross tries to reach Fletcher but it is cleared.
24 min: Newcastle are currently passing it across the back under no pressure.
21 min: Slightly better from the hosts who are now at least showing some intent. Lens sends a deep cross towards Johnson from the left but there is too much on it.
20 min: Sunderland win a throw. Yedlin flings it into the box and Fletcher goes close but cannot connect cleanly enough and the danger is cleared.
19 min: Mitrovic knocks a long ball down to Sissoko on the right. He squares to Colback but his low drive is deflected by Mitrovic and wide. The striker was in an offside position too.
18 min: Sunderland have possession for the first time in a while but Toivonen passes to nobody. Allardyce has a look of disgust on his face. That possession wheel to the left of this page is accurate – Newcastle have had three-quarters of the ball.
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16 min: A little give and go with Mitrovic sets Wijnaldum away but his attempt from the edge of the area is saved well by Pantilimon.
15 min: Cattermole has a go from range. It’s deflected by the hand of Colback, whose arm is up but gets away with it because he was so close. Sunderland want a free-kick, of course, but the ball trickles into Elliot’s hands.
14 min: And a minute later Tiote is booked for a cynical and late tackle on M’Vila in the centre circle.
13 min: Tiote clatters Johnson but Robert Madley plays the advantage. Lens shanks his cross on the left into the stand. Abysmal. Tiote gets a warning but the yellow card remains in Madley’s pocket.
12 min: Finally a sign of intent from Sunderland but Johnson’s low cross from the right is behind Fletcher and Newcastle break through Dummett. It is worked to Janmaat on the right. His cross finds Mitrovic but he cannot direct a long-range a header on target.
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10 min: Sunderland 30%-70% Newcastle in possession.
9 min: Dummett comes down the left but his poor cross is easily dealt with by Pantilimon. Cattermole is preaching calm – it would help if Sunderland were capable of stringing three or more passes together.
8 min: Newcastle already look settled, Sunderland have shown nothing apart from four fouls.
6 min: Perez swings it in from the left and Pantilimon punches convincingly clear. Then Lens fouls Tiote.
5 min: Another Newcastle corner. Sissoko wins the ball in midfield and gallops forward. The Sunderland defence are everywhere and Cattermole rushes back to block the shot. He is furious with the Sunderland backline, especially Kaboul who was caught badly out of position. The corner is only half-cleared and Colback swings it back in to the far stick from the right and Pantilimon concedes a third corner.
3 min: We already have three fouls! The latest an aggressive aerial challenge from Fletcher on Perez on Newcastle’s right wing. Colback swings it in, Sunderland don’t deal with it, Mitrovic heads it down and Coloccini acrobatically tries to beat Pantilimon from close range. The keeper saves and the ensuing corner is cleared.
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1 min: 23 seconds for the first foul! O’Shea takes down Mitrovic from behind on halfway. Letting the Newcastle striker know he’s there.
Off we go!
1 min: Sunderland in their home kit get us going playing from left to right as we watch, Newcastle are in navy with a dash of pink and white. It might be an early kick-off but what an atmosphere at the Stadium of Light!
Some pre-match emails
“For someone who lives where betting is illegal I was wondering what the line on red cards is for this one,” says JR in Illinois. “Though I consider myself to be a pacifist I’m not sure I want to live in a world where Tiote, Cattermole, or Mitrovic all make it through this game without seeing red.” It’s 13/8 for there to be a red card, 33/1 for there to be no cards at all.
Scott Bassett writes: “I’m not entirely clear on your English customs. Has the ceremonial horse punch happened yet, or is that typically a post-game thing?”
And here is Thabo Mokaleng, who fancies himself perhaps as a commissioning editor: “There’s an 800 Barney Ronay write-up on the symbolism of the pairing of the managers in all 3 of today’s games. Sam Allardyce and Steve McClaren in the Tyne-Wear derby represent old Britannica; in the doldrums and in the bottom, fighting very hard for not very much. At Old Trafford you have in Louis Van Gaal and Manuel Pellegrini two wizened old aristocrats brought in at great expense to compete for the highest possible stakes. Anfield gives us two Young Guns; suave, urbane future winners tasked in the here and now with restoring lost fortunes (Jurgen Klopp) and shaking up the established order (Ronald Koeman).”
In other news, Tim Sherwood has been sacked by Aston Villa!
“Speaking of your extra hour, it means the game down here in the land of oz does not commence until 11pm,” writes Raymond Reardon. “With Newcastle only scoring 12 goals in the first nine games and Sunderland only eight goals we will be wondering whether either team scores today or tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, from the archive … McClaren’s Middlesbrough defeat Allardyce’s Bolton in the 2004 League Cup final.
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Fabio Borini picked up a knock last week so drops out of the Sunderland team with Ola Toivonen coming in. Adam Johnson starts, too, having been on the bench in the defeat at West Bromwich, taking the place of Seb Larsson. Newcastle are unchanged from the 6-2 win against Norwich.
The cast
Sunderland: Pantilimon; Yedlin, O’Shea, Kaboul, Jones; Cattermole, M’Vila; Lens, Toivonen, Johnson; Fletcher. Subs: Van Aanholt, Larsson, Gomez, Defoe, Coates, Mannone, Watmore.
Newcastle: Elliot; Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Dummett; Sissoko, Tiote; Colback, Wijnaldum, Perez; Mitrovic. Subs: Anita, Cisse, De Jong, Lascelles, Haidara, Thauvin, Woodman.
Referee: Robert Madley
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the one day a year where we have 25 hours. What did you do with the extra one? This is a fixture that requires no introduction but considering the problematic positions both occupy in the table – even if Newcastle were suspiciously impressive when recording their first win last weekend – and the numerous juicy subplots at play there is something even spicier than usual about this 155th Wear-Tyne desperation derby.
Sunderland have had a hex over their neighbours in recent times, winning all of the five most recent meetings, keeping a clean sheet in the last three with an aggregate score of 10-1. And how badly they could do with another here to lift them off the foot of the table.
Then you have the managers. They have previous, you might have heard. This will be the 13th meeting of Sam Allardyce v Steve McClaren. The current record reads: four wins, four defeats and four draws. Factor in McClaren getting the England job in 2006 ahead of Allardyce and the latter’s short but disastrous tenure at St James’ Park. Tasty!
Indeed they could not even agree on the significance of this match. “It’s not just another game, far from it,” says Allardyce. “It’s one nobody wants to be on the wrong side of.” McClaren, on the other hand, says: “It’s just another game.” Allardyce could become the fourth successive Sunderland manager to beat Newcatle in his second game in charge here. Freaky!
Newcastle’s away record is diabolical, losing nine of their past 10 on the road, and you have to go back six games to find the last time they did not concede at least twice. Rob Elliot, the Republic of Ireland’s fifth choice goalkeeper but the only one currently playing in the Premier League (figure that one out), will continue in goal due to the absence of the injured Tim Krul and Karl Darlow.
Kick-off is 12pm GMT. Confirmed team news shortly but both could name unchanged sides. Buckle in!
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