has prompted at this time’s function, which appears to be like at a recreation that introduced the romance of the FA Cup again to Wearside simply as his new love affair with Sunderland was blossoming.
The Lads’ battling fifth spherical displaying in Staffordshire compelled a replay and regardless of Stoke Metropolis’s prime flight standing, the rematch at Roker Park appeared to be firmly within the stability.
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Our sturdy residence file would finally see us end the season as Division Two champions, and when added to their infamous cup pedigree, it gave many supporters the sense that an upset was on the playing cards — though because it occurred, giant sections have been something however snug for the hosts.
Supervisor Bob Stokoe, whose essential concern previous to kick off was a flu bug that was beginning to unfold via the membership, needed to watch on as his group have been put via a troublesome examination by the Potters. Because it was, solely Billy Hughes and Ian Porterfield — two males who’ll have recalled the same challenge when the FA Cup was received earlier within the decade however had since fallen out of first group competition — have been the one gamers laid up, but these capable of take to the pitch discovered the going powerful.
Effectively-structured Stoke had loads of the ball, though they didn’t all the time flip possession into clear-cut possibilities, and it was Sunderland that appeared the extra harmful truly after they did get the chance to push ahead.
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Having seen a thirty-fifth minute Pop Robson strike dominated out for offside, Bob Moncur and Mel Holden additionally went shut earlier than a finely-poised chess battle ensued, with Stokoe’s choice to go for a again 5 giving the Rokerites the flexibility to stem the movement of strain their increased division opponents have been trying to construct on.
The massed crowd, which had given the membership their largest attendance of the season to this point, was starting to sense that issues might go both method however fairly than add to the stress, they started to show the quantity up.
A wall of noise started to swirl across the stadium and when the ultimate fifteen minutes led to an intense interval of drama, the ambiance was proper up there when it comes to basic Roker nights. An excellent close to publish header from Holden as he related with a Bobby Kerr nook was greeted by jubilant scenes on the terraces, and while Denis Smith quickly replied for Stoke, the followers didn’t waver as soon as.
Smith — who in time would himself get to benefit from the backing of the purple and white military when he grew to become supervisor on Wearside — registered an instantaneous leveller when a free kick discovered its method onto the publish and he was available to poke it over the road, but the scruffy nature of the equaliser meant Sunderland have been capable of preserve the assumption that they have been adequate to win, as fairly than being outdone by a second of ability, they’d as a substitute been pegged again via a contact of misfortune.
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Kerr, who was superior all through, quickly set about Stokoe’s left hand aspect and when his centre was half-cleared, the ball was put again into the world by Dick Malone.
It was a splendidly weighted cross and one which Robson was capable of management and flick into the online (albeit by way of a deflection), to spark additional celebrations within the jam-packed Fulwell Finish behind the online.
Regardless of owing one thing to luck simply because the objective that had proceeded it, the winner felt totally deserved.
In Robson, the Lads had a finisher each bit pretty much as good as Stoke’s standard First Division adversaries, while behind him was a stage of power and dedication that any profitable aspect wants – a sense summed up moments earlier than the targets when Jimmy Robertson put a late deal with in on Tony Towers and the skipper was more than pleased to provide a bit again.
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Following the conflict, Robertson was booked while Towers acquired let off with a stern telling-off from referee Mr T.H.C Reynolds, however the message was clear: Sunderland have been up for the cup.
With a spot within the quarter finals now confirmed, murmurings of a possible exceptional double quickly acquired traction.
Nevertheless, the push went to pot when a niggly sixth spherical encounter with Crystal Palace turned Sunderland into the victims of a giant-killing and with all the eye shortly reverting to the promotion chase, this match can now typically be missed when recounting the massive post-war cup ties staged at Roker.
Nonetheless, there’ll be some for whom the recollections nonetheless exist — and perhaps even be one or two who pinpoint the replay because the day their very own Sunderland relationship started.
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Barry’s origin story is shared by many and though the places and the characters may change, the essence is similar: love at first sight that results in a passionate story that spans a many nice years.
Sunderland versus Stoke in 1976 may be much less heralded that when Manchester Metropolis have been the opponents on the identical stage three years earlier, for example, nevertheless it’ll be no much less vital to someone that fell head over heels.
Tuesday 17 February 1976
FA Cup fifth spherical replay
Roker Park
Attendance: 47,583
Sunderland 2 (Holden 77’, Robson 81’)
Stoke Metropolis 1 (Smith 77’)
Sunderland: Montgomery, Malone, Clarke; Moncur, Ashurst, Bolton; Kerr, Towers, Finney (Halom 83’); Holden, Robson
