After profitable promotion again to the Division One, Ken Knighton’s Sunderland had been driving excessive within the league. Two wins to start out the season in opposition to Everton and Manchester Metropolis elevated the optimism surrounding the group’s possibilities of surviving within the league.
This fast begin caught the attention of the British public and noticed Southampton – who had Kevin Keegan and Dave Watson of their ranks – come to Roker Park to play in entrance of the Match of the Day cameras. Regardless of defeat, the fared properly and adopted up with a reputable draw at Outdated Trafford.
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Regardless of the constructive begin to the league, drama was by no means distant and humiliation within the League Cup as fourth tier Stockport County knocked out the group over two legs to depart native media reeling within the aftermath.
Labelled as ‘flops’ by one newspaper, Sunderland needed to reply and subsequent up was Leicester Metropolis on today in 1980 at Filbert Avenue.
Regardless of the embarrassing defeat, Knighton caught to the identical group that performed within the cup defeat hoping that they may redeem themselves.
Credit score to the facet, they pulled an enormous outcome out of the bag in opposition to their fellow promoted facet with an early objective from John Hawley within the fourth minute the one objective within the sport.
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In a efficiency that was described as being ‘stuffed with character, organisation and loads of good soccer’ by the Sunday Solar, Hawley was in the proper place on the entrance to money in on a mistake the Foxes goalkeeper Mark Wallington who failed to carry on to Alan Brown’s shot to earn his fifth objective of the season.
One can be forgiven for pondering Sunderland carried out a ‘backs in opposition to the partitions’ efficiency for the remainder of the sport however this was not the case because the group continued to assault for a second. Simply earlier than the 20th minute, Hawley had a second objective inexplicably disallowed for a supposed foul on John O’Neil.
Within the second half, Leicester piled the strain on they usually had their goalkeeper Chris Turner to thank for some saved alternatives, significantly within the 51st when he saved a header from Alan Younger.
As the sport went on, Sunderland weathered the Leicester assaults and will have had a second of their very own just for missed probabilities from Hawley, Brown and in addition Stan Cummins.
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Finally, the win was an infinite constructive for Knighton’s group after a tough week for his facet. Glowing with delight, Knighton praised his group.
“It was an impressive efficiency and super outcome for us.”
“Frank Clark and I believed and spoke lengthy and exhausting about whether or not or to not make adjustments.“
“We ultimately determined it could be greatest to provide the gamers the possibility to redeem themselves which they did in super trend.“