On this day in 2020, Sunderland played away at Rochdale in a Tuesday evening kick-off. The game was played behind closed doors due to COVID.
Despite having been unbeaten in the league, Sunderland were coming off the back of a very disappointing performance and defeat at home to Portsmouth just three days earlier. Luke O’Nien had been sent off late on and was suspended for this game. Phil Parkinson made changes to the line-up as a result and started with a back three of Tom Flanagan, Bailey Wright and Dion Sanderson, with Wright being the only survivor from the Pompey game.
Lee Burge continued in goal behind a midfield of Denver Hume, George Dobson, Max Power and Conor McLaughlin, and a front three of Charlie Wyke, Chris Maguire and Lynden Gooch.
Despite the defeat to Portsmouth, hopes were high. Sunderland hadn’t dropped a point against Rochdale in their four previous encounters, and the Lads were odds-on at the bookies.
Rochdale started the game well and had the best of the opening 10 minutes. Oliver Rathbone had a deflected shot that fortunately fell for Burge, but despite this, first blood went to Sunderland, and we were ahead after only 15 minutes. A great Lynden Gooch cross from the left byline was met by Charlie Wyke, who powered a header past home keeper Gavin Banzunu.
Unfortunately, the lead didn’t last long, and only 10 minutes later, Dale were level. Matty Lund converted an Alex Newby cross, and the home side could have gone one better. A Morley cross was put over the bar by Jake Beesley before Sunderland once again went ahead. On 40 minutes, Chris Maguire fired in a free-kick that Banzunu punched away, but only as far as Gooch. He put the ball back into the area, and it deflected into the path of Bailey Wright, who steered a header into the corner, with the keeper making a poor effort at a save.
Once again, the lead lasted only a short time and, as half-time approached, Dobson and debutant Sanderson made a mess of clearing a cross. The ball found its way to Lund, who happily fired past Burge.
The second half was much more in Sunderland’s favour, and we looked to take all three points home from the Crown Oil Arena. Maguire fired in a low cross that evaded both Gooch and Wyke, with the latter heading a weak effort a few minutes later from a McLaughlin cross.
Numerous further attempts followed, none taken, and on 82 minutes, Wyke was replaced by Danny Graham. Only a few minutes later, Graham missed a golden opportunity to put the game to bed when the ball came to him in the box. Dobson shot from 20 yards out, and the ball came down off the crossbar straight to the substitute, who headed it rather tamely back to Banzunu.
Despite their dominance in the second half, we couldn’t break Rochdale’s resilience and had to make do with a point and seventh place in the league.