On This Day (28th August 1963): Mulhall’s Sunderland brace sinks Pompey

The 1963/64 campaign was about to get underway at Roker Park. Fresh from a convincing victory against Huddersfield in the season opener, the Lads were welcomed by a noisy and expectant crowd of over 40,000 but would have to overcome a feisty Portsmouth team.

Portsmouth, who had finished the previous season in a disappointing sixteenth position, were a difficult side to play against and always a threat to score goals. Their team boasted two future Aston Villa managers who were a big part of their goal threat. Ron Saunders played centre forward and would go on to manage Villa to the First Division title in 1981, as well as League Cup victories in 1974/75 and 1976/77, with Tony Barton as his assistant. Barton, a flying left winger, would later step up as manager after Saunders’ resignation and famously steer Villa to European Cup victory in 1982 against Bayern Munich.

Sunderland had no injury worries and fielded the same team that had earned a well-deserved 2-0 victory on the road in the first game of the campaign. For many Sunderland fans, the issue of who should play at centre forward was a hot topic. Brian Clough had been brought to the club from Middlesbrough and had not disappointed, scoring twenty-four goals in as many games before his career-threatening injury on Boxing Day 1962. Youth product Nick Sharkey had stepped up, scoring seven goals in ten games before being replaced with eleven games of the campaign remaining by Scottish international Andy Kerr. The versatile Scot was a £22,250 acquisition from Kilmarnock, for whom he scored 113 goals in 137 appearances.

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Sunderland had gone agonisingly close to promotion for the third season in a row. Manager Alan Brown was determined that success would be achieved this season and started the campaign with Kerr in the number nine jersey, over the unfortunate Sharkey, who had done little wrong when given the chance.

Within the first five minutes, Portsmouth might have taken the lead twice through the flying Tony Barton, but it was Sunderland who struck first through their own flyer, George ‘Bullet’ Mulhall. This was a sparkling solo goal from Mulhall, who picked up a loose ball some forty yards from goal and turned on the afterburners, leaving defenders in his wake before striking a sizzling drive that almost lifted the net from its pegs. The goal released the Roker Roar, cascading down from all four corners of the ground.

The scoreline stayed the same for sixty-six minutes, but there was incident aplenty in this humdinger of a contest as both teams went at each other with gusto. Both sides had pace and attacked with speed and zest, though Sunderland probably possessed more guile, with Anderson, Crossan, and Herd sending the ball around corners to get that elusive second goal. Sunderland’s defence also stood firm when under the greatest pressure.

What Pompey lacked in guile, they made up for with pace and fight. The pulsing crowd was treated to a right royal battle between ‘King’ Charlie Hurley and the hard, skilful forward play of Ron Saunders. From the first minute to the last, these two went at it like heavyweights determined to be the last man standing!

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On twenty-three minutes, another Pompey flyer, John McLelland, sprinted away from Len Ashurst and rounded Jimmy Montgomery to shoot from an acute angle. The shot looked goal-bound, but from nowhere, Hurley slid in at pace and cleared the ball off the line. Two fine saves from Monty followed as Gordon and McLelland were again denied. For the Lads, goal-worthy efforts from Herd, Crossan, Kerr, and Mulhall again had the Roker crowd at fever pitch.

Then, on seventy minutes, a decisive moment. Cecil Irwin raced up his wing in support of Brian Usher, forced the ball past two challenges, and passed to Usher, who fed the ball on to Crossan, lurking with intent in the box. With hardly a blink of an eye, the wily inside forward slipped a sideways pass to Mulhall, who blasted it past Armstrong in the Portsmouth goal for his second of the game.

If the home fans thought the contest was finished, they were in for a shock. The second goal seemed to trigger even greater effort from the visitors, and some rugged challenges were a testament to a team that refused to lie down.

On eighty-six minutes, Johnny Crossan created a bit of space for himself on the edge of the box after some clever play from Anderson and Mulhall. His shot was a peach, and it looked a goal from the moment it left his foot, only for it to crash against the post and rebound at pace. Crossan’s momentum had carried him forward, and in one of those moments when time seems to stand still, he smashed the rebound with consummate skill past an almost stationary goalie to put the game out of Portsmouth’s reach. It was a stunning piece of artistry that once again triggered noisy and prolonged acclaim from the now ecstatic Roker Park crowd.

In the very last minute, and all credit to the visitors, a great bit of play saw Saunders looking favourite to meet a drilled cross right in front of goal. Hurley just managed to get a toe in front of him, knocking the ball off the crossbar and out for a corner, which was easily cleared.

What a game this had been! No quarter asked or given, and three sparkling goals to lift the points for the Lads. On a day when the whole team performed well, Crossan’s endless energy and clever running, Herd’s skilful probing and cajoling, and Mulhall’s deadly finishing, speed, and close control were worthy of special mention. Portsmouth had more than played their part in this thrilling game and took many plaudits but must have been sick of the sight of Sunderland, whom they faced again seven days later at Fratton Park. Sunderland won 4-2 with two goals from Crossan, one from Andy Kerr, and an own goal.

This season did bring promotion and was built around a very settled side. Stan Anderson was “sensationally” sold to Newcastle after ten games and replaced by Martin Harvey. Nick Sharkey took over from Andy Kerr after nine league games and finished the season with seventeen goals from thirty-three games. Johnny Crossan was top scorer with twenty-two goals as the Lads followed Leeds back to the First Division.

I never got to see this legendary side play (it was 1965/66 before my first game) and have often felt a stab of envy for those who did witness the great campaign of 1963/64. This game seemed typical of that season — a real firecracker with personal duels and great skills on show, with a pulsing, appreciative crowd lapping up the spectacle.

Division Two — Date: 28/08/1963 — Venue: Roker Park

Attendance: 40,300

Sunderland 3-0 Portsmouth

Goal scorers: Mulhall (4 mins & 70 mins), Crossan (86 mins)

Sunderland: Montgomery; Irwin; Ashurst; Anderson; Hurley; McNab; Usher; Herd; Kerr; Crossan; Mulhall

Portsmouth: Armstrong; Gunter; Wilson; Harris; Snowden; Dickenson; McLelland; Gordon; Saunders; McCann; Barton