Sunderland 1-2 Burton: Darren Bent scores & Mackems are RELEGATED! Player Ratings & Match Report

Sunderland are as good as relegated after falling apart late on in the game, with the sucker punch being that Darren Bent got the equaliser.

The first half was pretty flat for the most part, and until Paddy McNair scored the tempo was flat and fairly pedestrian.

The Northern Irishman’s goal was a nice clean strike, a ball which fell to him after Burton’s lacklustre defence failed to deal with Ashley Fletcher.

Burton could have levelled it up moments later - Joe Sbarra was unmarked back-post and with the ball on a plate he fluffed his lines.

Sunderland went in at the break ahead, without really having to play particularly well in order to earn it.

Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

The second half was more of the same, with neither team really going at it.

Marc Wilson struggled up against their right winger and was taken off before he got himself sent off, replaced by Adam Matthews at left back.

Jason Steele was surprisingly steady in goal and it was good to hear the fans get behind him - we know he’s bad but he needed the crowd to be with him, and they were.

Darren Bent came on with 18 minutes left to play to a villain’s reception - and a louder than usual home crowd sang from start to finish in a bid to spur the Lads on.

And with mere minutes left to run it was the ex-Sunderland striker who nodded in the equaliser - the most predictable goal conceded in what has been an absolutely awful campaign for Chris Coleman’s side.

John O’Shea hit the bar in the final seconds of normal time, but in truth Sunderland were poor in the second half and had only themselves to blame for not holding onto the lead.

Burton then got the winner - more crap defending and with barely any time on the clock, Liam Boyce stabbed it home.

Sunderland had a goal disallowed right at the end after it had looked like they stole a draw - but after referring to the linesman, the referee gave a free kick and a yellow card to Lee Cattermole.

Sunderland are as good as relegated, and this pathetic display just summed up their season.

---

Player Ratings

Jason Steele, 7/10: Steady today and looked more confident. Better than Camp, anyways.

Marc Wilson, 4/10: Looked incredibly mismatched up against their right winger and was rightly hooked.

John O’Shea, 6/10: Steady without having much to do. We looked more organised today with him in there for most of it.

Lamine Kone, 7/10: Bullied their striker all afternoon. Sometimes he looks far too good for this level.

Billy Jones, 5/10: Didn’t have much to do but not as shocking as he usually is.

Lee Cattermole, 5/10: Off the pace and pedestrian for the most part but because Burton were so bad it mattered not a lot.

Paddy McNair, 6/10: Goal aside I don’t think he was as good as he usually is, but that’s nit picking. Still our best player.

George Honeyman, 6/10: Starting to grow into that box to box role.

Aiden McGeady, 5/10: Didn’t offer a great deal, but understand why he plays.

Callum McManaman, 5/10: Wasn’t really involved and didn’t open up Burton as much as he did Reading last week.

Ashley Fletcher, 5/10: Same as usual really, a steady performance without looking like a goal threat.

(SUB) Adam Matthews, 6/10: Not really his fault, was better than Wilson.

(SUB) Joel Asoro, 5/10: Didn’t do much.

(SUB) Jake Clarke-Salter, 4/10: Whilst you can’t blame him solely, losing Kone and putting him in his place cost us.

Roker Report’s Man of the Match: Jason Steele.