That’s it from me. I’ll leave you with Will Unwin’s report from Hillsborough - goodnight!
Here’s the goal from Patrick Roberts that sent Sunderland to Wembley
ROBERTS SCORES!!! 💥
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 9, 2022
Is that the goal that sends Sunderland to Wembley?! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hAll7n1qfe
Well that escalated slowly. After a scrappy, hard-fought 73 minutes, the game came to life when Lee Gregory finished a lovely move to bring Wednesday level on aggregate.
They looked the likelier winners after that, but Sunderland stung them in added time with a similar goal from Patrick Roberts.
Sunderland will play Wycombe at Wembley on Saturday week; Wednesday will be in League One again next year. Football, eh.
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Full time: Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Sunderland (agg: 1-2)
That’s it! Sunderland will play Wycombe Wanderers in the League One playoff final after a dramatic finish at Hillsborough.
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90+11 min One last attack for Wednesday, but Luongo’s shot is blocked. I think that’s it.
90+9 min Berahino’s overhit cross is spilled by Patterson, who grabs the loose ball just in front of Paterson.
90+6 min Wednesday are shellshocked. Sunderland are making a triple substitution: Nathan Broadhead, Callum Doyle and Jay Matete replace the goalscorer Patrick Roberts, Jack Clarke and Alex Pritchard.
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90+5 min Saido Berahino replaces George Byers. That’s Wednesday’s fourth substitution, one of which was because of concussion.
The goal was made superbly by Jack Clarke, who has been a menace all night. He teased Storey, went on the outside and slid a low cross towards the near post. Roberts, just like Gregory earlier tonight, got across the defender, Palmer in this case, and turned the ball in from close range.
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GOAL! Sheff Wed 1-1 Sunderland (agg: 1-2; Roberts 90+3)
Patrick Roberts may have put Sunderland into the playoff final!
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90+3 min “Hi Rob,” says Lars Bøgegaard. “Even WITH the away goals rule this tie would have gone to extra time with the score 1-0.”
My point exactly.
90+1 min There are a lot of tired players out there.
90 min There will be, and you’ll like this, ten minutes of added time.
89 min Bannan again finds Johnson, whose flashes a cross through the six-yard box. Sunderland would take extra-time now; they’ve been under a fair bit of pressure since Gregory’s goal. But there will be a lot of added time because of all the injuries.
87 min A reminder that there’s no away goals rule in the playoffs, so if it stays like this the tie will go to extra-time.
85 min Byers’ long-range shot is blocked. He had Mendez-Laing in a great position to his right but didn’t see him. At the other end, Storey makes a desperate and vital tackle on Clarke. It was a long way from goal, just past the halfway line, but Clarke would have been through.
82 min Wright is fine. Meanwhile, here’s that fine goal from Lee Gregory. The movement of Johnson and Gregory was textbook, and Bannan’s pass a thing of beauty.
THERE'S THE EQUALISER... SUNDERLAND'S LEAD IS WIPED OUT!!! 💥 pic.twitter.com/OSEEXMEBjc
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 9, 2022
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80 min There’s a break in play while Wright receives treatment to his right eye. I think he’s okay.
78 min Pritchard picks up a loose ball on the edge of the area, shifts it away from Byers but then thrashes wide of the near post. It might have taken a deflection, though a goalkick was given.
77 min Wednesday make their third change: Josh Windass is replaced by Callum Paterson.
77 min Dean is booked for a lunging tackle on Clarke.
That was a superb move from Wednesday. Bannan threaded a fantastic pass between Roberts and Gooch to find Johnson on the left side of the area. He sidefooted an immaculate low cross to Gregory, who got in front of Batth and opened his body to finish from close range.
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GOAL! Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Sunderland (agg: 1-1; Gregory 74)
They’ve put Sunderland under pressure now! Lee Gregory has brought Wednesday level on aggregate with a fine goal!
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73 min It’s been a surprisingly comfortable second half for Sunderland, with Wednesday unable to put them under any sustained pressure.
70 min Darren Moore was about to make a double substitution, with Paterson and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing coming on, but he may have to revise that because of Hutchinson’s injury.
Indeed he does: Mendez-Laing and Liam Palmer come on for Hutchinson and Jack Hunt.
69 min “I’m trying to enjoy the game,” says Adam Hurst, “but as with the first leg, and as with the old Tyne-Wear derby, I can’t work out who is who. Both in white + stripes, both with black shorts and socks, whose bright idea was this? Even the ref and assistants barely stand out from the outfield players.”
Even the numbers are quite hard to pick out, certainly on the Sunderland shirts.
68 min There’s a break in play while Hutchinson and Gooch receive treatment. There was a clash of heads, with both men bleeding, and Hutchinson looks very groggy. I’ll be surprised if he’s allowed to continue.
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66 min A fantastic driven cross from Windass almost leads to a Wednesday goal. The diving Patterson could only push it onto one of his defenders, Gooch I think, and it rebounded just wide of the far post.
The resulting corner leads to a header from Hutchinson that is comfortably, if dramatically saved by Patterson.
65 min A dodgy backpass from Storey is almost intercepted by Stewart. Peacock-Farrell takes no risks, lumping the ball straight out of play for a throw-in.
63 min Windass’s cross from the left is headed over by Storey, who was still up following a corner. A half chance at best. Callum Paterson is about to come on for Wednesday.
62 min Pritchard delays taking the resulting corner, pointing to something that has been thrown onto the pitch. No idea what it was.
61 min Clarke and Stewart combine to find Roberts, whose fierce shot from a tight angle is blocked by Storey. Roberts wanted a penalty for handball; the referee disagreed. That definitely hit Storey’s arm, which wasn’t in an entirely natural position. It could have gone either way.
59 min Clarke goes on an elegant, mazy run, beating at least five Wednesday players in the process. Eventually he finds tees up Roberts, whose shot from the edge of a crowded area is too close to Peacock-Farrell.
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56 min Roberts’ dangerous cross is turned behind by Hunt at the far post. Pritchard’s corner is punched away by Peacock-Farrell.
53 min As in the first half, Sunderland have started very confidently. There haven’t been many chances but the high stakes and subtle momentum shifts make this a compelling game.
50 min Sunderland work a really neat corner from the left, forcing Byers to make a brilliant sliding block on Roberts (I think). The loose ball is driven wide from the edge of the area by Clarke.
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49 min It’s been a fairly quiet start to the second half. It’s slightly scary that an entire season will probably come down to the next 40 minutes.
46 min Peep peep! Wednesday get the second half under way.
“I hope all is well,” writes Bill S Preston. “I am very much enjoying the minute by minute at present. It seems to be a pretty zingy game in S6! All animal, maybe? Anyhow, do you think the pace will be sustained over the second half, or will Wednesday be content to grab a goal, sit back slightly, ride the clock down, and hope the goal will come given their home record? And I hope the referee doesn’t forget to wind his watch.”
I’ve given up trying to predict human nature given, well, everything, but my instinct is that Wednesday will keep pushing even if they score. They’re so good at home that there’s no reason for them to try to take it to penalties (if they have the opportunity).
Half-time reading
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Half time: Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 Sunderland
Fast, furious and goalless at Hillsborough. There was only one shot on target, a spectacular overhead kick from George Byers, but Wednesday applied a lot of pressure in the last 15-20 minutes of the half. There’s also been a suggestion of needle, and a big Wednesday penalty appeal for a potential handball by Dennis Cirkin. It was hard to be sure from the replays we saw.
45+1 min Stewart is booked for a poor tackle on Johnson.
45 min Three minutes of added time.
44 min Bannan’s corner from the right flashes right across the six-yard box. Sunderland really need that Gatorade hit.
43 min By the way, there will be a red card tonight. There has been sufficient dudgeon in the first half to suggest that neither team will go quietly.
41 min Bannan has a long-range shot blocked, then Windass goes over in the area while trying to collect the loose ball. Cirkin made a Horlicks of a routine clearance before falling on the ball in a panic. He tried to head it, may have handballed it, and then Windass fell over his horizontal body. I don’t think it was a foul on Windass; I’d like to see the handball shout.
41 min “Joshua Reynolds is absolutely right about those names,” says Dennis Johns. “Solly March is the current holder of my coveted award for Premiership Player Who Sounds Most Like A Saul Bellow Character. Admittedly without loads of competition.”
40 min Wednesday have had 75 per cent of the possession in the last five minutes. I wouldn’t say Sunderland are holding on for half-time, but nor would they say no to a Gatorade chaser.
36 min Bannan’s free-kick is headed over by Dean, who met the ball on the run near the penalty spot. That wasn’t a bad chance, though the angle of the cross meant there was little margin for error in the timing of the header.
This is a good spell for Wednesday, their best of the match so far.
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35 min: Brilliant effort from Byers! Bannan’s outswinging corner is headed away, but Wednesday keep the ball alive. It’s headed back into Byers, 12 yards out with his back to goal. He controls the ball on the chest and hits a sweet overhead kick that is too close to Patterson. Either side and that might have been in.
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33 min Clarke slithers infield from the left, beating Hunt with ease, and has a shot blocked by Storey. That was a lovely run.
33 min See 27 min.
32 min “As you’re avoiding clichés tonight, Rob, just remind us that it’s a game of four halves,” says Justin Kavanagh. “And that when it comes to the Championship play-off winners, the league table often lies.”
31 min Sheffield Wednesday are getting frustrated by, well, everything, but particularly some refereeing decisions. I think the yellow cards were both fair enough. Wednesday are right to be annoyed by Sunderland’s time-management, though; it’s pretty brazen, even at this early stage.
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30 min “I’m rooting for the Black Cats because I love the name ‘Lynden Gooch’,” writes Joshua Reynolds. “Like ‘Solly March’ and ‘Max Power’, the name just makes me happy to see it on the team sheet.”
I’m fearing sensing the imminent arrival of a Mac Millings XI.
28 min Bannan is booked for a lunging tacakle on Pritchard. He can have no complaints.
Correction: he should have no complaints.
27 min Still no shots on target.
26 min Johnson’s very deep cross finds his fellow wing-back Hunt, who mishits an admittedly difficult volley back across goal. The ball ricochets off a couple of players and dribbles wide.
25 min Pritchard’s inswinging free-kick is backheaded over the bar by Batth, a decent effort under pressure. He needed a slightly gentler noggin to take some of the pace off the ball.
24 min The referee breaks the seal, booking Byers for a cynical foul on Clarke.
22 min “I’ve lost track a little of what’s going on with these clubs recently,” says Matt Dony. “Isn’t Louise Dreyfus in charge at Sunderland? Both big clubs, so many cliches, yada yada yada, I’d happily see either one move up.”
Wycombe fans will love your patter.
20 min Patterson miscontrols a ball forward and gives away a cheap corner to Wednesday. It’s swung beyond the far post and headed wide by Storey, who couldn’t get a clean connection because of the presence of Wright. Excellent defending.
19 min The Wednesday fans are unhappy with how long Sunderland are taking over throw-ins and goalkicks.
Now O’Nien is down after an off-the-ball incident with Windass. I think Windass deliberately stood on his toe, though not with even force to send O’Nien to the canvas. The referee has a word and leaves it at that.
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17 min Bannan plays a cute disguised pass to Windass, whose shot on the turn is superbly blocked by Batth. He smothers the follow up, too, and the ball eventually goes behind for a corner.
14 min Bannan’s lofted through ball is just too heavy for Windass, who made a good run off Dean (I think). “Barry!” shouts Darren Moore on the sidelines; for a player of Bannan’s quality, it wasn’t a particularly difficult pass.
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11 min Wednesday are starting to come into the game. After good play from Luongo on the left, Gregory’s snapvolley is well blocked by Wright.
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7 min Wednesday’s first promising attack. Marvin Johnson’s dangerous cross from the left is half blocked by Wright at the near post and dribbles through to Patterson.
7 min The referee thinks about booking Cirkin for a late tackle on Byers, then decides not to break the seal so early in the game.
6 min Sunderland are really dominating possession, though so far it’s all been in front of the Wednesday defence. Alex Neil will be really pleased with their start.
4 min It’s been a confident start from Sunderland, who have clearly come to play.
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2 min “Hang on a minute Rob,” says Alex Mac. “These two sides have just broken the record for the highest ever (combined) play off semi final attendances in league one. Surely there is something in the ‘sleeping giant’ cliche?!”
Oh I’m not denying that these are two huge clubs, it’s the cliché part I was trying to avoid. We have a cliché quota, you see, so I try not to waste any before the big kick-off. Ach, that’s one down.
1 min The match is under way! We’re having technical problems, which is just tremendous, but hopefully they’ll be sorted soon.
One for the Sheffield Wednesday fans
I recently received a copy of Gareth Platt’s When a Giant Stirred, which is about Wednesday’s (mostly) golden period between 1976 and 1993. I haven’t had chance to start it yet but it looks great, and I know he’s interviewed a number of the central characters. If you’re of a certain age and persuasion, I’m sure it will appeal.
On that note, can any Sunderland fans recommend a book on the Peter Reid years? Does one exist? I know there’s Premier Passions but I’d love to read the full story, particularly the second spell in the Premier League. I interviewed Niall Quinn a few years ago and he spoke with such fondness about that period, on and off the field.
A reminder of the teams
Sheffield Wednesday (3-5-2) Peacock-Farrell; Storey, Dean, Hutchinson; Hunt, Byers, Luongo, Bannan, Johnson; Windass, Gregory.
Substitutes: Wildsmith, Palmer, Dunkley, Mendez-Laing, Paterson, Berahino, Kamberi.
Sunderland (4-2-3-1) Patterson; Gooch, Wright, Batth, Cirkin; Evans, O’Nien; Roberts, Pritchard, Clarke; Stewart.
Substitutes: Hoffmann, Doyle, Embleton, Broadhead, Neil, Matete, Hume.
Referee James Linington.
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“Hi from Boston,” says John Hillebrand. “Are there away goals in tonight’s playoff?”
Nope, so if Sheffield Wednesday win 8-7 it will go to extra-time.
Darren Moore’s pre-match thoughts
“[Will we see a different Wednesday from the first leg?] I think we have to. It was a tough game up there but we’re at home and we’ve had a good couple of days. I brought Jack [Hunt] and Josh [Windass] in to freshen it up a bit – Jack has been superb and Josh will give them something different to think about with his movement.
“We’re really proud of our home record and we want to carry on in that vein, but we know we’ll have to be at our best against a very good team.”
Let’s go, Lads! 👊 #SAFC | #TilTheEnd pic.twitter.com/55WJV4pCXv
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) May 9, 2022
Team news
The Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore makes two changes from the first leg. Jack Hunt replaces Liam Palmer, and Josh Windass is preferred to Saido Berahino up front.
Sunderland are unchanged, though Nathan Broadhead is fit enough for the bench.
📋 Here's how we line-up for tonight's play-off semi-final second leg!
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) May 9, 2022
XI | Peacock-Farrell, Hunt, Storey, Dean, Hutchinson, Johnson, Byers, Luongo, Bannan, Windass, Gregory
SUBS | Wildsmith, Palmer, Dunkley, Mendez-Laing, Paterson, Berahino, Kamberi#SHWSUN pic.twitter.com/f0kkyU91LA
⚫️ 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 🟡
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) May 9, 2022
Alex Neil's starting XI for this evening's semi-final second leg. #SAFC | #TilTheEnd
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Preamble
Hello and welcome part two of the heavyweight playoff clash between Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland. Between them, these don’t say sleeping giants, don’t say sleeping giants teams have spent 152 seasons in the top flight. That was then and this is now; that was just nostalgia. Right here, right now, their sole ambition is to return to the Championship.
Both teams could be two games away – tonight’s match at Hillsborough, then the playoff final against Wycombe a week on Saturday. Sunderland lead 1-0 from the first leg at the Stadium of Light, and will take heart from their dominance in that game. But Wednesday had the best home record in League One this season, which included an emphatic 3-0 win over Sunderland in November. (They also lost the return fixture 5-0, so there’s that.)
This game has a diverse wardrobe, but at heart it’s a 50/50 contest. Just as it should be.
Kick off 7.45pm.
The Owls are arriving 👋 #SHWSUN pic.twitter.com/asTLXIu19r
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) May 9, 2022
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