Late goals from Enzo Le Fee and Wilson Isidor kept alive Sunderland’s chances of European football as they came from behind to beat Everton 3-1 and ruin Toffees captain Seamus Coleman’s final appearance at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Frenchman Le Fee, who had previously scored at the ground in the Black Cats’ FA Cup victory in January, also provided the assist for Brian Brobbey as the visitors staged a second-half rally.
Isidor’s goal in added time provided more gloss to a 45-minute performance which saw them leapfrog their opponents into ninth in the table.
That may be enough, with successful results for all England’s European finalists, to earn a UEFA Conference League spot but eighth will definitely get them in and as they are only two points behind Brighton in seventh the hope remains ahead of next weekend’s visit of Chelsea.
But Everton’s chances having slipped to 11th, two points behind the Black Cats, effectively look over and that will annoy manager David Moyes after on-loan midfielder Merlin Rohl’s deflected goal late in a first half lacking in event or intent had given them the advantage.
The arrival of 37-year-old Coleman off the bench for his final home appearance after announcing he was leaving after 17 years brought the afternoon’s loudest cheer but, sadly for the club stalwart, the ground was more than half-empty as he said his farewells at the final whistle.
With European football still a prospect for both sides at kick-off it was a surprise to see such a lacklustre opening 45 minutes.
The visitors lost Omar Alderete to injury midway through the half but his replacement Luke O’Nien had plenty of time to acclimatise as Everton did not really threaten until Rohl’s 43rd-minute strike.
Cutting in from the right the 23-year-old, signed on loan in the summer from Europa League finalists Freiburg with a £17.3million obligation to buy, took a swing with his left foot and the huge deflection off Granit Xhaka wrong-footed goalkeeper Robin Roefs.
The second half at least provided some entertainment with Trai Hume’s ambitious shot from wide on the right almost catching Jordan Pickford off his line, with the England goalkeeper backtracking to tip over his crossbar.
But Jake O’Brien’s mis-control presented the ball to Le Fee 40 yards from goal and he slid a pass through the middle for Brobbey to shrug off James Tarkowski’s attempts to muscle him out of possession and slot past Pickford.
When Isidor held off Tarkowski to allow Habib Diarra’s cross to reach the centre of the penalty area Iliman Ndiaye was slow to close down Le Fee and he took clinical advantage.
O’Brien’s close-range header was somehow kept out by Roefs’ shoulder before Isidor drove home to prompt boos at the end.
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