Sunderland slip further despite Connor Wickham hitting Stoke City early

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/25/stoke-city-sunderland-premier-league-match-report

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It had all started so well for Sunderland. Yet by the end of these 90 frenzied minutes at the Britannia Stadium a trying week concluded with them sinking into the Premier League’s bottom three.

Connor Wickham had capitalised on Asmir Begovic’s blunder to stun Stoke City and give Dick Advocaat’s team a first-minute lead, yet a deserved Charlie Adam leveller combined with results elsewhere mean the visitors’ plight became even more perilous heading into their remaining five matches.

This could yet prove a vital draw. Yet, right now, slipping into that bottom three – they trail 17th-placed Leicester City by a point – amounts to another demoralising setback as the north-east club still come to terms with Adam Johnson being charged on Thursday with three offences of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl. Despite the winger being cleared to continue to play for Sunderland, the England international was not included in their 18-man party to face Mark Hughes’s team.

“He didn’t train for three days so I thought it was better for him to stay away,” Advocaat said. “Let’s wait and see what will happen in the next days.”

As for his team’s predicament, Advocaat is remaining calm. “Yes [we are in the relegation zone] but this was an away game,” the Dutchman said. “That’s why I was surprised about Hull winning away.

“We were close second half but not close enough. Next week it’s our chance again. We have five games to go and everything is open for the bottom five or six clubs. I am pleased with a point.”

The early portents had been promising for them. Will Buckley’s right-wing delivery across the face of goal looked every inch a routine ball for Begovic to deal with. But the Bosnia international somehow allowed it to spill from his grasp and, with the goal gaping, it fell perfectly for Wickham to dispatch.

A golden opportunity for the visitors came after Erik Pieters failed to intercept Lee Cattermole’s probing ball to allow Jermain Defoe to race through yet, with the angle acute, he drilled into the side-netting.

It proved a pivotal moment as soon Stoke were level. Approaching the 27th minute, it was a blockbuster strike from Adam – as so often they are – as he rewarded Marko Arnautovic’s elusive footwork and lay-off inside the area with a thunderous shot which arrowed into the top-right corner. That made it three goals in his last four matches for the Scotland international.

“It was a great strike from Charlie on his wrong foot which shows you the quality of his strike,” Hughes said. “It was a great response from us, I thought it was the best we’ve played for quite some time.”

There were opportunities aplenty at either end. Philipp Wollscheid could count himself extremely fortunate on the hour mark when Ryan Shawcross came to Stoke’s rescue with a fine last-ditch interception to deny Wickham, after his central-defensive partner had been caught dawdling in possession.

It was, by their usual standards, tentative defending from the home side. They looked odds-on to be punished when Billy Jones capitalised on two untimely slips from Stoke bodies to surge through only for him to be thwarted by Begovic. Redemption in some form.

Another mind-boggling save soon came at the opposite end as Mame Biram Diouf, having chested down Adam’s free-kick inside the six-yard area, looked certain to score, yet Costel Pantilimon saved superbly from point-blank range.

With 10 minutes remaining Peter Odemwingie was introduced to a rousing reception for his first appearance since suffering cruciate knee ligament damage against in August.

Hughes added: “It’s a little bit soon for him, he’s not ready to start games yet but hopefully he can contribute in the remaining games.”