SUNDERLAND HAVE BEEN relegated for the second successive season following a 2-1 defeat at home to Burton Albion.
Chants of: “Are you watching Ellis Short?” echoed around the Stadium of Light as late goals from Darren Bent and Liam Boyce condemned Sunderland to English football’s third tier.
The final whistle saw Chris Coleman’s men viciously booed from the stands as the home fans came to terms with Sunderland’s second drop-out in as many seasons.
The sound of Sunderland slipping into League One. Relegated. Beaten 2-1 by Burton pic.twitter.com/lb1Pqy1lbh
— Simon Bird (@SimonBird_) April 21, 2018
Sunderland hit the bar through John O’Shea late on and had a last-gasp equaliser disallowed due to a perceived handball by Paddy McNair, who had previously opened the scoring, but the damage had already been done.
Burton manager Nigel Clough sprang the 34-year-old Darren Bent from the bench, and the former Sunderland striker reaped revenge for choruses of ‘one greedy bastard’ when he levelled in the 86th minute.
Minutes later, Liam Boyce met Ben Turner’s cross to head the stoppage-time winner and mathematically consign the Mackems to relegation.
Burton may well follow them, too: if they are to survive, they must beat Bolton at home, win away at Preston and hope other results go their way.
