Sunderland AFC - Season 1

Sunderland Suffers Two Consecutive Losses After Three Wins

After a triumphant three-game winning streak, the Sunderland squad experienced two consecutive losses, one at home and the other on the road, to close out the month. These setbacks served as a rude awakening for the Black Cats, who were confident after their 4-1 win against Millwall last week. Unfortunately, their trip to Birmingham resulted in a 2-1 defeat in unpleasant weather conditions, with Jobe Bellingham scoring the only goal for Sunderland just over an hour into the game. The loss was compounded by the news that Jay Matete would be out for the season with a torn ACL.

With Leeds United visiting The Stadium of Light just three days later, the Black Cats were forced to bounce back quickly. The match featured two teams expected to make the playoffs. Although the first half was evenly matched, a goal from Joe Gelhardt in the final seconds put Leeds ahead 1-0. Joe Piroe doubled the lead just five minutes into the second half for the visitors.

Sunderland's Alex Pritchard scored his first goal of the season with ten minutes left, narrowing the gap to 2-1 and setting the stage for a frenzied finish. The home team pushed hard and had three significant opportunities, with their best chance hitting the far post and resulting in a direct counter-attack that Georginio Rutter converted into a goal, securing a 3-1 win for Leeds.