Sunderland got here into this sport in sixteenth place within the league and in want of factors towards Dave Sexton’s evolving Crimson Devils.
United had been knocked out of the FA Cup by Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest the earlier Saturday and arrived trying to make a fast restoration.
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Sunderland had sought some reduction within the cup from their relentless battle to remain within the first division and had taken Birmingham Metropolis to a deserved third-round replay at Roker Park earlier within the month. On an evening that noticed the majestic Colin Todd return, Metropolis had gained the tie in extra-time with future Sunderland gamers Keith Bertschin and Frank Worthington additionally taking part in outstanding roles within the sport.
Some consolation was gained within the three-goal league victory towards Norwich at Roker Park that adopted our cup exit, however the Lads had not gained two successive video games at dwelling all season and to take action towards Man United appeared a tall order given outcomes and type so far!
United have been a tough group to beat that season and had bolstered their assault with the million-pound signing of ahead Gary Birtles from Nottingham Forest to play alongside the dreaded and potent Joe Jordan.
Sunderland got here into this sport with the brand new £250,000 signing of Ian Bowyer (additionally from Nottingham Forest). This lad had been a key participant in Forest’s midfield and I (like many different Sunderland followers on the time) was excited by his seize and looking out ahead to him anchoring our midfield as he had finished at Forest.
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With a boisterous and noisy 30,000-plus crowd braving a chilly and mizzling January night time, each groups served up a hard-running, cracking contest to heat nearly all of us as we set away dwelling two hours later.
The sport kicked off at a cracking tempo with each groups at it from the primary whistle.
Within the first 5 minutes Birtles ought to have opened the scoring for United after passage of interaction discovered him 4 yards out and with simply keeper Chris Turner to beat.
Turner although was proper on his sport this night time and made the primary of plenty of top-draw saves, blocking the try magnificently.
He was at it once more two minutes later when the harmful Steve Coppell whipped a low cross into the world. Turner collided closely with Mickey Thomas to uninteresting down his try, however the ball was rolling towards the objective when Steve Whitworth coolly arrived and performed the ball out from the objective line. Turner was facially closely bruised in that collision however simply carried on after a fast dab of the magic sponge!
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Then a well-made likelihood for Sunderland from Stan Cummins in irresistible fettle: he beat his marker and flicked a move to Bowyer on the sting of the field. Along with his again to objective receiving the ball, the debutant turned on a ‘tanner’ and fired a snap-shot that Bailey did rather well to save lots of.
Shortly after this on twenty-four minutes, Sunderland took the lead.
It was Bowyer who began the transfer with a marvellously swept ball to Joe Bolton, rampaging down his wing. Working at tempo, Joe fired in a cross that Gordon Chisholm managed on his chest and swivelled to fireside low previous Bailey into the nook of the objective from roughly eighteen yards out. It was a superb objective and it was celebrated with gusto by the Roker crowd.
The sport continued finish to finish with Joe Bolton clearing off the road after Birtles had chipped a stranded Turner after which Lou Macari blasted a shot simply by the submit.
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Coming into half-time, Joe Jordan dedicated a horrendous foul on Gary Rowell. The large Scot was a fiery buyer however had hardly had a sniff from the hard-tackling Shaun Elliott and Rob Hindmarch. The sort out on Rowell appeared petulant and Jordan had type. The referee performed the benefit although and play was swept upfield towards the Manchester United objective and Kevin Arnott. He fired in an ungainly cross that full-back (and future Sunderland participant) Jimmy Nicholl appeared to deal with. Although the entire of the United group protested for what appeared like minutes, the referee awarded a penalty.
Gary Rowell had been the membership’s nominated penalty taker in 1977/78 season. He had although missed fairly a little bit of the 1979/80 promotion season with harm and Pop Robson had taken over the duties. On this season John Hawley had taken over the duties at the beginning of the season and while he had scored two in successive matches on the very begin of the season, he had crucially seen his final effort saved by future Sunderland goalkeeper Tony Coton making his debut for Birmingham Metropolis within the current league match at St Andrews.
Regardless of his current miss and Rowell being on the pitch (although considerably incapacitated at this level as a result of Joe Jordan “assault”) Hawley stepped up and struck a really tame effort that Gary Bailey saved simply.
I used to be happy that the referee had performed on after Jordan’s foul on Rowell, however mightily upset that he had not gone again after the play had concluded and meted out some punishment for the sort out. My view was that in most video games that degree of assault would have led to a sending-off and I couldn’t assist however really feel that every one the protest from the Man United gamers in regards to the penalty award had been orchestrated to distract the referee from sending Jordan off. If not deliberate, it’s a reality it did distract him and no punishment was levelled.
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Would we rue this missed alternative within the second half I questioned, because the groups trooped off to good applause. The miss couldn’t take away from a very good first-half efficiency and if we may keep our ranges we may earn the victory was my conclusion as I headed to the salubrious bathrooms in the back of the Fulwell Finish and a cup of lukewarm Bovril from the tea hut that I all the time thought was a tad too near the “salubrious bathrooms” for my liking!
The second half began the place the primary half had completed, with the Lads urgent the United objective.
Kevin Arnott had a shot nicely saved after which Stan Cummins, who was at his mesmerising finest on this sport, completely beat his marker Arthur Albiston earlier than slaloming into the penalty space and shedding a sq. move to Arnott. The silky maestro selected to put his try, side-footing the ball goal-bound however with not sufficient energy to beat Bailey. It had been an encouraging begin, however we have been quickly on the defensive.
After passage of play from United, Gary Birtles discovered himself in a wonderful place simply inside our field and it took a really well timed block from Bowyer to forestall the shot. Having blocked the try, the debutant adopted up with a wonderful move to Cummins who sprinted clear down the correct wing solely to be cynically pulled down by Martin Buchan, who was booked by referee Arnold Challinor.
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Alan Brown was despatched on rather than the visibly tiring John Hawley and the resultant free-kick produced a superb piece of ability from Stan Cummins, as he managed the ball immediately and cracked a fizzing shot simply previous the submit that had us surging within the Fulwell Finish.
Simply after this Rob Hindmarch was booked for a reasonably apparent foul on Joe Jordan. That they had fought a bodily battle throughout the sport and Jordan was a famous bullying-type centre-forward however the one kicks he had on this sport have been most likely from our younger centre-back who was no slouch in a battle!
Then in seventy-five minutes got here United’s finest likelihood. A harmful cross discovered Mickey Thomas unmarked and 6 yards out; he lashed the ball extensive of Chris Turner and the submit a lot to the reduction of the overwhelming majority in Roker Park.
It was end-to-end soccer because the Crimson Devils pushed for an equaliser, leaving gaps on the again that we nearly exploited on a couple of event on this final section of the sport.
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There was an enormous collective gasp across the stadium as Gary Birtles fired a goal-bound shot that Turner simply tipped over after which thrice in as many minutes we nearly put the sport past United. First it was a blistering shot from Gordon Chisholm from simply outdoors the field that simply cleared the bar. Then Cummins continued his private campaign to win the sport, pinging a first-time shot that Bailey simply managed to carry after which a shot on the flip that simply cleared the submit. It was a panoramic finale but it surely wasn’t completed but!
Coming into the final minute of the sport, with the guests urgent, Ian Bowyer set Joe Bolton away down his wing. I beloved to see Joe on the cost; he was just like the proverbial specific prepare! In contrast to some full-backs, Joe may ship cross or move in full flight. He additionally may reduce in and shoot along with his proper foot and caught just a few defences out with that ability over the seasons with us. On this event he made a dart for the field and was by means of on objective when Gary Bailey got here charging out and clattered into him. As soon as once more the referee pointed to the penalty spot, with little criticism this time from the United gamers.
With Hawley off the pitch, up stepped Gary Rowell. He regarded his standard cool, calm, nerveless self as he positioned the ball, took just a few steps again and easily positioned his kick previous a bemused Bailey. There all the time gave the impression to be an inevitability a few Rowell penalty; he was in lots of respects like an Ashes/Aussie quick bowler, similar run-up, however closely disguised launch that sends the center stump cartwheeling!
What a end to a cracking sport this was; the objective and victory was cheered to the rafters. There was a way of reduction, but in addition this victory was totally deserved and perhaps… simply perhaps the promise that we had proven in all too transient spells this season was now going to be realised?
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Come the tip of this season, Man United completed in eighth place and Sunderland completed a disappointing seventeenth within the prime tier.
We had gained two dwelling league video games in succession for the primary time this season, while Ken Knighton had phrases of reward for the help; he bemoaned a deepening harm disaster, with Chris Turner, Gary Rowell and Rob Hindmarch all most likely unavailable for our subsequent league sport.
There was some pleasure the subsequent day, because it was extensively reported within the nationwide and native press that the Bristol Metropolis centre-forward Tom Ritchie had been signed for £250,000.
Finest for Sunderland on this sport was Stan Cummins, intently adopted by Chris Turner and Ian Bowyer, although in reality this had been a improbable group efficiency.
Division One
Date – 28.01.1981
Venue – Roker Park
Attendance – 31,910
Sunderland 2 – 0 Manchester United
Goalscorers – Chisholm 24 minutes; Rowell penalty 89 minutes.
Sunderland – Turner; Whitworth; Bolton; Hindmarch; Elliott; Bowyer; Arnott; Chisholm; Rowell; Cummins; Hawley (Brown 71 minutes).Man Utd – Bailey; Nicholl; Buchan; McQueen; Albiston; Duxbury; Coppell; Macari; Thomas; Birtles; Jordan. Sub – Ray Wilkins.