SUNDERLAND endured a night of frustration at Spotland as they twice squandered the lead and had to settle for a share of the spoils with Rochdale following an entertaining draw.

Charlie Wyke and Bailey Wright twice put them ahead, only for two Matty Lund goals to cancel them out. The draw means the Black Cats slip out of the top six and they lost further ground on the top two as other results went against them.

The Northern Echo:

While it is still very early days, last season showed the dangers of being outside those play-off spots at any stage of the campaign and they will have to battle all the way if they want to achieve that dream of promotion.

Manager Phil Parkinson had called for a response following their first defeat of the season to Portsmouth three days before, but even though this much-changed side led twice, Sunderland never managed to get a firm grip on the game.

The Northern Echo:

Parkinson had opted for four changes to the side that suffered that loss to Pompey as they tried to get back to winning ways but only one of them was enforced.
Luke O’Nien’s red card meant Dion Sanderson was finally handed his debut following his deadline day arrival on loan from Wolves.

Sanderson was part of a new look back three with Tom Flanagan back in as they took their place alongside Bailey Wright.

Conor McLaughlin was also brought in to play right wing-back, allowing Lynden Gooch to play further up field while George Dobson came in to partner skipper Max Power in the centre of midfield.

Yet for the first ten minutes, the Black Cats were chasing the ball as Rochdale bossed possession, but a deflected shot from Oliver Rathbone that was easy for Lee Burge was their only effort on goal.

The Northern Echo:

But when Sunderland went forward, they did so to devastating effect as they took the lead on the quarter-hour mark.
Denver Hume had already delivered a couple of dangerous balls from the left in search of Wyke before Gooch justified Parkinson’s decision.

The American twisted and turned the full-back inside out before sending over the type of cross that centre forwards dream of and Wyke duly obliged as he headed home his sixth goal of the season.

But having done the hard work, Sunderland’s lead only lasted ten minutes as they were breached for the first time away from home this season.

Alex Newby recreated what Gooch had done at the other end with some fantastic wing play as he delivered a pinpoint cross for the unmarked Matty Lund to give Burge no chance with his downward header.

However, the Black Cats went ahead for a second time. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu punched clear Chris Maguire’s initial free-kick, but from Gooch’s deflected cross, the ball looped up, allowing Wright to guide a header under the 'keeper for his first Sunderland goal.

Yet they could not keep that advantage until half-time as the Newby-Lund contribution worked a treat for a second time. Again, Newby did the damage down the right and when his ball was not cleared by anyone in red and white, Lund had found a pocket of space to hit the corner with a calm finish.

The Northern Echo:

Rocked by going in level, there was a spring in the Black Cats step for the second period as they pinned Rochdale back, with Maguire firing a shot across the face of goal as they went in search of a third goal.

Wyke was appealing for a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Haydon Roberts but referee James Bell was unimpressed and waved it away.
Gooch then came inside looking to get involved and he made space for a curler on his left-foot, but Bazunu was equal to his effort.

The goalkeeper on loan from Manchester City then excelled himself with a fine save at full stretch to keep out Wyke’s header as the visitors chased a winner.
And they were so unlucky not to get one when Power took aim from 20 yards and rattled the underside of the bar with Bazunu up sharply to save the follow-up header from substitute Danny Graham.

The Northern Echo:

So Sunderland remain unbeaten on the road but this was two points dropped, which they will want to rectify when they travel to Gillingham on Saturday lunchtime.

Rochdale (4-2-3-1): Bazunu; R McLaughlin, O’Connell, Roberts, Bola; Morley, Ryan (Done 81); Newby, Lund (McNulty 88), Rathbone; Beesley. Substitutes not used: Chalton (Gk), Keohane, Tavares, Hopper, Brierley.
Sunderland (3-4-3): Burge; Sanderson, Wright, Flanagan; C McLaughlin, Dobson, Power, Hume; Maguire (Scowen 75), Wyke (Graham 82), Gooch. Substitutes used: Matthews (Gk), Willis, O’Brien, Grigg, Leadbitter.
Referee: James Bell