Anthony Patterson delivered a man of the match performance in Sunderland's FA Cup fourth round tie at Fulham - and afterwards revealed the advice he has been given from 1973 cup-winning legend Jimmy Montgomery. Academy graduate Patterson was superb in the 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage, producing a string of saves to keep the Black Cats in the competition and help earn them a replay against the Premier League side at the Stadium of Light.
Montgomery was one of the heroes of the side that famously defeated the then-mighty Leeds United at Wembley when Sunderland became the last North-East team to lift the trophy 50 years ago in May, with his incredible double save from first Trevor Cherry and then somehow diverting Peter Lorimer's follow-up over the bar, writing his name into FA Cup folklore. Montgomery, who is also the club's record appearance-maker, is still lauded on Wearside and has been on hand to dispense advice to his modern-day successor between the sticks.
"I've met him a few times," Patterson said of Montgomery. "Jim often comes in and I often speak to Jim quite a bit and he always gives me advice.
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"The one thing he always says is 'are you enjoying it still' and I respond with 'yes' obviously. He just says 'keep enjoying it' and that's his advice to me."
Patterson's performance against Fulham saw him singled out for praise by boss Tony Mowbray after the match, and the 22-year-old keeper says he will watch the highlights on Match of the Day - but is wary of talking up the game as his best display. Asked whether he would watch Match of the Day, he said: "Quite possibly.
"I'll probably see some of our chances back as well because I think we had some really great chances to go and win the game. We always look back at our clips after the games and aways pick little bits that we think could be better and bits that have been good.
"It's just always good to look back on them and see how you can develop and improve."
But as to whether it was his best game yet for the club, he added: "I tend not to think about it because if you get too ahead of yourself thinking it's going well that's when mistakes creep in or you get a little bit sloppy. I just like to play on my instinct and I never know when I'm going to be called upon next.
"It's important just to stay switched on and not think about it too much."
Jack Clarke put Sunderland ahead inside the first five minutes of a game that saw multiple chances at both ends, before Tom Cairney levelled for the hosts on the hour. Patterson kept his team in the game, producing save after save including one brilliant double stop late in the match, first from Bobby De Cordova-Reid and then from Willian's follow-up.
Patterson said: "Obviously that's my job and I have to stay switched on for the full 90 minutes and never know when I'm going to get called upon. It's important that I do that and help the team out.
"[Double saves] areb something that I work on everyday pretty much and I'm always trying to help out the team as much as I can and thankfully I was able to on Saturday."
Sunderland and Fulham must now meet again in a replay next week. "Our fans will get right behind us and we’ll give them another really good game and get after them like we did here," said Patterson.
"Anything can happen when we have our fans behind us."
More than 6,000 Sunderland fans travelled to London for the initial game, and Patterson added: "No matter where we go, the away following is unbelievable. To have 6,000 there you could hear them the whole game and it added to the cup-tie atmosphere which made the game really.
"And it just shows how much talent the young lads have that we’ve brought in and we are always pushing. You have seen we can go toe-to-toe with a Premier League side and I thought we had some really good chances to possibly even win the game so it was really pleasing."
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