By Gary Smith Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com
LONDON, England: Trinidad & Tobago international Stern John and Reggea Boyz striker Deon Burton both hit the back of the net in the English League Championship on Saturday.
Coming on as a substitute against Hull City at the Stadium of Light, John put the game beyond the visitors' reach when he scored his team's second in the 90th minute. His goal built on the Jonathon Evans' first-half strike.
On-loan from Manchester United, Evans, 19, gave his team the lead after only three-minutes when he cleverly met Dean Whitehead's curling free-kick and leaped high to head home past goalkeeper Boaz Myhill to score his first goal for Sunderland.
Trinidadian World Cup hero Dwight Yorke seemed to have given Sunderland a 2-0 lead just before the interval, but after slotting the ball past Myhill, the goal was disallowed as Yorke was called for clearly being offside.
Sunderland continued to probe after the restart and after missing several opportunities got sweet reward when Myhill made a dreadful backpass, which went straight to John, who rounded the visiting goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the empty net.
After the match John said the team, which remains undefeated in 2007, must keep fighting to keep the quest of winning an automatic promotion to the Premiership alive. Sunderland is the most consistent team in the Championships this season, winning 10 of their 13 games matches, and John has called on his teammates to keep the energy going.
"I'm having a great time at Sunderland and while I have settled in really quickly, it has been made a lot easier by the fact that we have been getting so many good results," the Trinidadian new signing said.
"We have a chance to get promoted automatically this season now but if we are going to do that, we have to show the same sort of consistency as we've displayed since I came here.
"I've been promoted from this division before – with Birmingham City – and what I know is that to finish in the top two you have to go on long, good runs where you don't lose matches.
"You have to put in displays where you turn draws into wins and you turn possible defeats into draws."
Meanwhile, Jamaican international Deon Burton scored the opening goal for Sheffield Wednesday, but they had to do away with a 2-2 tie with Wolverhampton after Andrew Keogh broke the home side’s heart with a 90-minute equalliser.
A Frank Simek throw was flicked in to the box by Lee Bullen and Burton expertly flick home from close range to give the Owls a 22nd minute advantage.
However, the hosts’ failed to defend in the final minute and paid for it. But despite the defeat manager Brian Laws said he was proud of his team for not giving up after Simek received an 81st minute red card.
"One thing is very, very clear and that is if anyone thought the players would switch off and let the season peter out, without motivation to carry on then that match tells you a different story," Laws told the club website after the 2-2 tie.
"I thought we did exceptionally well, I thought overall we were the better side; passed the ball well, moved, created chances and deservedly went into the lead."
"I can see that they have a lot of energy in the side and we generally dealt well with Wolves' counter attacking style." |