Sheffield Utd 1 Sunderland 2: Black Cats back in Prem for first time in 8 YEARS as controversial star nets £200m winner
TOM WATSON climbed off the bench to fire Sunderland into the Premier League with his last kick for the club in one of the most extraordinary football fairytales.
The 19-year-old academy graduate winger has been getting dog’s abuse from the Black Cats fans after it was announced two months ago he would be joining Brighton for £10million this summer.
Yet his wonderful strike seven minutes into stoppage will bank his home-city club a staggering £200MILLION.
When he came on in the 73rd minute for Dan Neil the Black Cats were trailing to Tyrese Campbell’s superb 25th-minute opener and struggling to lay a glove on their opponents, who finished 14 points above them.
Yet another sub Patrick Roberts threaded a lovely pass for Elizier Mayenda to blast an equaliser with 16 minutes left into the roof of the net.
Extra-time was beckoning when Kieffer Moore lost possession and Watson hammered a shot into the bottom left corner.
It was a sea of red and white at Wembley as the stadium got taken over by Blades and Black Cats fans.
Sunderland fans outnumbered their rival supporters. Even in hospitality where notoriously you see gaps there was not an empty seat.
They gave a loud rendition of Can’t Help Falling In Love before kick-off which would make most people’s hairs stand up.
The Black Cats have not been in the Premier League since 2017 while the Blades were looking to bounce back at the first attempt.
Chris Wilder’s men had finished 14 points ahead of Sunderland, 16 if you include the two docked, but the club had failed in nine attempts to win a promotion through the play-offs.
But in Kieffer Moore they had a striker aiming for this THIRD promotion in just four seasons and a midfield maestro in Gus Hamer who has just won SkyBet Championship player of the year.
And the two combined to almost give the Blades the perfect start.
Hamer’s cross from 30 yards into the box was floated perfectly for Moore to attack with a glancing header which had goal written all over it but for a wonderful low one-handed save from Anthony Patterson.
However, Luke O’Nien fell and hurt his shoulder and after a few minutes of medical attention where he received gas and air he was forced to hobble off.
It was a sad moment for the club captain who had done four years slogging through League One with Sunderland and clocked more than 300 appearances for the Mackems.
Chris Mepham came on to set up a fascinating duel with his ex-Bournemouth team-mate and fellow Wales international Moore.
The early chance and injury seemed to affect the Black Cats and United enjoyed the better of the opening 20 minutes with a more direct style of play.
And they were rewarded by scoring a brilliant counter-attacking opener.
Trai Hume’s short corner was cleared and within 12 seconds the Blades had the ball in the back of the net.
Hamer had acres of space in front to attack before squaring a pass to Campbell, who despite having sprinted almost 70 yards showed great composure to take one touch before dinking a lovely finish past Patterson.
And the game looked over as a contest when Harrison Burrows fired a ferocious 25-yard shot into the bottom right corner.
But despite VAR not being used in the EFL, it is in the play-off finals.
And ref Chris Kavanagh was invited to look at the monitor.
It was adjudged that Vini Souza was offside and, although he had not touched the ball, he was standing in front of the keeper – so interfering with play.
Wilder threw his arms in frustration.
Sunderland had been struggling to move the ball quickly or shift it behind the Blades backline. Le Bris’ gameplan had been well and truly sussed so it was going to be a huge half-time for him to show how good a coach he really is.
His side came out positively after the restart and put their opponent’s goal under some pressure.
But Chris Rigg – the youngest player to appear in a Championship play-off final aged 17 – had to make a last-ditch tackle to deny Rhian Brewster what could have been the second.
The Blades broke at pace but Moore lost the ball as he cut inside to shoot.
It fell to Brewster but Rigg brilliantly got a toe to the ball before he was able to shoot.
That proved to be the last action for the teenager as he was replaced by Patrick Roberts.
Patterson saved Sunderland’s bacon when sub Andre Brooks got past Dennis Cirkin.
But the Black Cats keeper managed to save with his feet.
Yet incredibly it was bedlam as Sunderland drew level out of nowhere with 14 minutes left.
For the first time in the game they strung something together.
Roberts’ defence-splitting pass found Mayenda, who blasted his shot past Michael Cooper into the roof of the net. It was only their second shot on target in the entire game.
It sent their fans into a jubilant frenzy and within a blink of an eye they were almost ahead when Jobe Bellingham, who had barely made an impression, slammed an effort over the bar.
Ben Brereton Diaz, who had come on from Hamer, hobbled off in stoppage time to be replaced by Tom Cannon while Tom Davies came on for Sydie Peck.
Then came the late drama.
