Sunderland staged another late, late, show as they beat play-off rivals Oxford United to return to the top six. The Black Cats followed Nathan Broadhead's injury-time winner against Gillingham on Wearside last week with an 89th minute winner at the Kassam Stadium, with substitute Elliot Embleton coming off the bench to score the crucial goal.
Skipper Corry Evans had put Sunderland in front on the quarter-hour, but Elliott Moore had headed Oxford level ten minutes before the break. In the second half, Oxford made the running but Embleton made the difference.
With Wycombe dropping points at Gillingham, Sunderland leapfrogged them to go sixth in the table on alphabetical order, with the sides level on points, goal difference, and goals scored - although the Black Cats do have a game in hand of the Chairboys. As for eighth-placed Oxford, this was their third successive defeat and they are now four points behind Sunderland and have also played one game more than the Wearsiders.
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Alex Neil made three changes to the side that started last weekend's win against Gillingham, with Nathan Broadhead, Lynden Gooch, and Jay Matete, coming into the side in place of Luke O'Nien, Danny Batth, and Alex Pritchard. That meant a switch to a back three, with Carl Winchester and Dennis Cirkin playing either side of Bailey Wright, while Gooch and Jack Clarke filled the wingback roles.
Oxford boss Karl Robinson also made three changes, in his case to the side that lost at Morecambe in midweek. Moore, Cameron Brannagan, and Billy Bodin came into the side, with Ryan Williams, Marcus McGuane, and Gavin Whyte, dropping to the bench.
Sunderland had to weather some early pressure, with Anthony Patterson called upon to make a fine save from Mark Sykes, clawing the Oxford man's 25-yard shot away from the top right-hand corner. And soon afterwards Sykes blazed over the bar under pressure from Dennis Cirkin, after Brannagan's crossfield ball had put the U's on the front foot.
Sunderland's best chance in the early stages saw Ross Stewart set up Broadhead inside the box, but his shot was blocked just in front of goal by Luke McNally. It was Sunderland who struck first, however, capitalising on a free-kick won by Jack Clarke just outside the left-hand corner of the box on 16 minutes.
Clarke drove his set-piece into the wall and the ball rebounded to Matete, his low shot was blocked inside the crowded penalty area but it broke straight to Evans and he stabbed home from eight yards. Matete made a good challenge to deny Sam Long a clear sight of goal inside the area, while at the other end Gooch sent a shot high and wide.
But Oxford levelled on 35 minutes, with the goal coming from another set-piece. Bodin took the kick from the left-hand touchline, and Moore got up above Bailey Wright to plant a firm header past Patterson from close range.
Dangerman Sykes continued to threaten as half-time approached, and he sent a volley straight at Patterson from a tight angle when he should have done better. Neil sent on O'Nien in place of Roberts at half-time, with the latter having been largely ineffective in the first period.
Oxford were the better side in the second half, and for long spells it looked as though if anyone was going to find a winner it was the hosts. McNally intercepted a loose pass from Dennis Cirkin and strode forward only to put his shot narrowly wide.
Midway through the half, Patterson made a brilliant stop to deny Ciaron Brown, after he met sub Whyte's cross and powered a header at goal from very close range. And Bodin curled a free-kick just over the bar.
But instead it was Sunderland who nicked a goal in the final minute of normal time. Matete made a positive run forward down the left channel before feeding the ball into the box to the feet of Stewart, and he laid it off to his right into the path of Embleton who fired low across the keeper into the bottom left-hand corner.
Seconds later, Stewart should have killed the game off when he was put through on goal but Jack Stevens stood up well and managed to make the save, with a recovering defender hooking the loose ball out for a corner. Even then there was more drama, with Bodin inches away from finding an equaliser in injury time, but Sunderland held out to collect a crucial three points.
Oxford United: Stevens, Long (Winnall 90+1), McNally, Moore, Brown, Bodin, Kane, Brannagan, Sykes, Taylor, Holland (Whyte 62). Subs not used: Eastwood, Williams, Forde, McGuane, Seddon
Sunderland: Patterson, Winchester, Wright, Cirkin, Gooch, Evans, Matete, Clarke (Embleton 85), Roberts (O'Nien 46), Broadhead (Batth 79), Stewart. Subs not used: Hoffmann, Neil, Hume, Doyle
Booked: Matete, Cirkin
Referee: Ben Toner (Lancashire)
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